


Learning to Let Go

by TNWanderer



Category: Free!
Genre: Arabian ED AU, Djinni & Genies, Haru is a rich merchant, M/M, Mermaids, Occasional violence, Rin is a wandering healer, S1 ED AU, Slavery, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Splash Free! - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, hopefully not for you, it is going to be long and torturous, this story is taking itself too seriously, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 148,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TNWanderer/pseuds/TNWanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Season One ED AU, where they live in a half-desert continent, where water is the most precious commodity. Rin is a healer and Haru is a merchant from different kingdoms.  Both are wandering the desert and neighboring kingdoms with their friends, hiding their true identities. But destiny brings them together and their lives change forever. For better or for worse, you'll see...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**AN:** First Free! fanfiction. Some technical explanations might be boring but bear with me here as I am trying to build a realistic world and logical background for the events. This has a slow build up, so the fic will be quite long.

 **Haru/Rin** (in this order, yes), rating will change, warnings will be added as the story goes. I'll use Japanese suffixes like _-san_ and _-chan_ , and _Senpai_ because their absence sounds really off to me in the dialogues. You'll see _Bey/Beyim_ and _Aga_ often. Both words are honorifics along the lines of _Lord/My Lord_ and _Sir_. There will be explanations of some unknown words at the end of the chapters. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Nanase Haruka had two distinct memories dug deep into his psyche from when he was growing up into a young boy: The existence of a merciless sun and the cruel absence of water.

His grandmother, who was the most respected elder of the country, tried to shield him from the harsh reality but Haruka could hear it everywhere and could see it wherever he turned his eyes. He knew it like he knew his name and he felt it in the morrow of his bones.

There was no rain but only the eternal glare of the sun.

The image of that yellow globe, so high above, so majestic and unattainable was stuck burned behind his eyelids, ran through his veins and filled up his core, nestling in the core of his very essence. It was indelible. So much so that, he felt the deepest thirst, the most boundless desire for water like no other could and no one should. His chest hurt, his head swam with the vastness of his longing, but there was no water to quench it, no words to describe it, and no one was wise enough to understand it.

Yet there was something worse than that voracious thirst.

People condemned him. Even though he was their prince, they judged him severely. They said that he was cursed, that he was a punishment sent from heavens to Shalbatana. Since the day he was born, it was rumored that not even a drop of rain fell to the capital city, the clouds passing by above the dried up earth without mercy, going up to the north. The sun blazed in an insatiable fury upon the charred earth. It was so bright, so scorching, and so indomitable in its unchanging deadly beauty. It was their god, they worshiped it, and they revered it and honored it, wishing it would grant them life and prosperity on their lands. But even the once fertile lands were slowly turning arid and barren.

River Arda, which was their source of life, was unable to resist the red glare of the sun, either. The water was diminishing; Arda’s flow rate was declining year by year because rain did not fall. The snow water coming from the mountains where Arda was born was not enough to resist the unruly sun that reigned over Shalbatana. And people were whispering about how Haruka was the reason of it, how cursed he was, how damned the people and the lands were to become because their destiny was intertwined with a measly child who did not even knew how to control his own thirst.

“You are the sun!” They were saying. “You control it. Tell it to have mercy upon us!” Even the servants were beseeching him when his father and mother didn’t look, whenever he was walking around the palace, whenever someone found him alone. “Tell it to give us life, not take it, Prince!”

Haruka didn’t know what to do, didn’t understand what the others were saying, why the people were both blaming him and fearing him.

How could he be the sun?

The sun was up there, illuminating everyone, even Haruka. How could he command something so awe inspiring, so grand and deadly and far away with this small fragile body of his? How? Why was he held responsible of all these sadness, desperation, calamity and devastation? He didn’t do anything bad. He really didn’t.

He could only look on as the land died, taking the people along with it. And knowing that your very existence was deemed the cause of it was the greatest torment a child could ever taste.

“He should be taken away.” The Elders were saying, fear and respect in their eyes as Haruka gazed up at them, not understanding why people dreaded him so much. “He is unbalanced now, his thirst is so insatiable that it burns him and in return he burns the lands.” The mages were telling. “He should wander around, should never stay somewhere for too long. Until we find a way…” They were bowing to him. “Until he finds his balance...”

It was decided.

No matter how much his mother cried, no matter how much his grandmother protested, nobody cared or listened. Even his father, the king, was powerless against the decision of the Elders. Their kingdom was dying and the king could never let his sole child be targeted for it. Haruka was to leave.

Haruka did not remember much about how he left the palace, how in secrecy he was taken out of the capital city, Behram. He was entrusted to two men who were about his father’s age. They were Beys, people of high esteem and status in the palace. His father trusted them. One of them was named Tachibana, the other was Hazuki. They were good people. They did not fear him; they did not treat him as if he was cursed. They talked to him and told him about their own kids, promising him that he’d meet them as soon as possible, that they’d be good friends.

Haruka believed them. He was thankful to them for helping keep his mind away from the devastated faces of his mother and father and that solemn, sad look that his grandmother had. He knew that he wasn’t going to see any of them for a long time. Yet at least now, Haruka thought that they were going to be alright and hopefully rain would fall and make everything better.

He was wrong. He did not see the rain.

For miles and miles down to the southwest, they rode. They saw famine, drought, depravity and hopelessness in as many cities and as many villages that they passed. The sun was standing up above them like a guardian, sentencing them to witness how lands turned mad in want of a drop of water. Haruka felt himself going brittle like a little twig.

Illness was everywhere. People were dying both because of the famine and because of having nothing to keep up the hygiene. Cholera and dysentery were becoming common and deadly. They had to do something about it, but Haruka didn’t know what other than the thing that was drilled to his mind; that he was the reason of it and he had to go away to end it.

So he went away.

After they were out of the country, they stopped in a village belonging to the country of Qenaan in the southwest. This country was partially situated on the Great Desert but Haruka was thankful that here in this part of it there were no intimidating dunes or irritating sand around. The country was arid but not as much as how Shalbatana had been when they had left it. At least, people could grow grains and herd camels here. More importantly, there were several little brooks around that could be used for irrigation. And the children were certainly happier.

Haruka hoped that rain was falling in Shalbatana now, and as if in answer to his prayers, a messenger coming from the country reported rain. He had never felt that much relief in his entire short life ever.

But soon after they had passed the border of the country, Haruka fell ill.

Neither Hazuki nor Tachibana understood what was wrong. Haruka was rubbing at his eyes and involuntarily crying under the bright light of the sun. The whites of his eyes were irritated, tiny veins visible and he had trouble keeping them open as if there was sand in them. The adults were disturbed by the turn of the events. They were always on the go, so finding a healer to understand what was wrong with their prince was nearly impossible.

Haruka was in pain. He had never thought before that keeping his eyes open would be such a painful experience. But he loathed not being able to see, he feared it greatly. Even though everybody hated how the sun nailed them down into the acrid earth, he loved looking up at it, he loved the fiery red impression that it left behind his eyelids. But, _ah_ … His eyes hurt so much, his eyelids felt so crisp like paper, sandy, and hot. Leaving them open hurt, closing them felt like they scraped over his eyes. He hurt, he hurt so much and with that, his thirst grew.

They couldn’t stay in that village for long because, Haruka’s presence made itself known quickly. Wherever the boy went, it was as if the humidity in the air vanished without even a sliver of it left. The Beys realized that the more tormented the boy was, the harsher the weather turned and the madder the sun blazed. All they could do was moving and hoping to find someone before their prince went blind with the worsening condition that his eyes got. They even considered returning back to their own country instead of wandering lost at the edge of the desert like this. But with the condition that the prince was in, with the rains that began to shower their homeland as soon as the boy had left, people would surely stigmatize the prince and believe that their claims were proven true.

_The prince is cursed; even his eyes are going to be taken, look. He is drying up like the sun itself!_

They could practically hear the damnation that was to come and the idea was never uttered again. The boy was already going through more than a human could stand. They had to find a way because Haruka could no longer keep his eyes open in the day light. The boy tried to keep himself from rubbing at his eyes, but it was a fruitless effort as the itch was too strong and agonizing to bare. Rheum collected around the lids in an unnatural and excessive way, the upper lids were swollen and red, hot to the touch. All they could do was to wash them as regularly as they could, using their precious water to sooth Haruka’s agitation even for a bit.

Haruka was afraid. Never before, not even when he had to leave his home and family behind that he had felt such a fear. He was scared of losing his sight. His eyes became the bane of his existence and torment in such a short amount of time that he couldn’t remember how things escalated from mere irritation to not being able to open his eyes at all.

But as time passed and as they traveled, things only got worse. He developed a fever that didn’t seem to go down no matter what the two Beys did. They were in their fifth month of travel and Haruka had been ill for more than a month now. Even though they knew that their prince was practically exiled from his country, his condition was worsening in an alarming way. They had to reconsider their earlier idea of returning. But what if someone targeted his life for coming back? One would think that nobody would be crazy enough to lay a hand on someone who was considered as the sun itself, but… A hopeless man had nothing to lose when desperation dictated survival against all costs. And their prince refused to return.

Haruka rejected the idea of going back in such fervor that the Beys were astonished at his stubborn and unshakable decision. He told them just to not stop until they’d find someone to heal him, until someone would come along and end his misery.

Soon after a week, Haruka was reduced to spend most of his time as half delirious with a wet cloth covering his eyes like a blindfold, on horseback. They were traveling deep into the more populated parts of the Qenaan country, milder in weather and richer in water.

They stopped at a large village on the outskirts of Shari, Qenaan’s capital city in the north. An elder woman checked Haruka and told them that the ailment in his eyes was a contagious one and it was a miracle how the adults hadn’t contacted it yet. She prepared things to relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation but told them that she couldn’t cure it completely. But Haruka was ready to settle even for a moment’s respite from the torment that he was going through.

Well into the third week of his fever, he believed that he was slowly going crazy. He was seeing young girls. Even though his eyes were closed, he was seeing young girls following him wherever he went, giggling at him, trying to touch him, dancing around him. They looked as if they were made of gold, so brilliant, so beautiful and energetic. Their hair flew around them as if spun from the sun rays, intricate, ephemeral, and so stunning. They were talking to him animatedly with hopeful looks on their faces but he could only watch.

The Beys found lodging in an earthen house, doing everything the elder woman had advised them. But the fever did not go down. The prince could open his eyes now even though it stung horribly, but he was telling them that he could barely see. Tachibana was worried that the fever would impair the already abused eyes of their charge, because Haruka’s gaze was cloudy and empty.

Of course the two Beys didn’t know what Haruka was seeing even when he couldn't open his eyes, whenever he could collect himself enough to think through the slow burn that was his fever.

The girls were telling him things even though he couldn’t make out a word. Wherever they walked they seemed to create a map of golden threads and he was amazed and afraid that his finger tips were connected to the threads that the girls were weaving with their small feet. He felt like a pitiful spider that was caught in his own web. His insides felt charred as if no water could ever redeem him from his ashes again.

He thought that dying was quite a harrowing affair.

As Tachibana kept in contact with the messengers and looked after Haruka, Hazuki didn’t sit around, either. He searched and looked for someone in the city, seeing that their prince was about to boil in his own blood. The little boy was half conscious and no longer spoke to them, no longer ate or even heard them. Hazuki wished that they could counsel with the mages of their country but there was no time for that. He rode his horse from inn to inn, asking and hoping.

Maybe by a miracle, maybe by the hand of destiny, Hazuki found someone. The people in a small tavern told him about a healer who was able to heal all the sick within a week before he left for the next town a day before. _It was unbelievable_ , they’d say. _He can really cure anything!_ And all Hazuki needed before he rushed back onto the road was to know where the healer was headed to.

He rode his horse so hard to reach the healer that Hazuki pitied the animal, but it paid off. He found two men around his age who were traveling with a boy towards the village that Tachibana and their prince were staying at. Approaching the sinister looking guys was a feat. One of them had such a shock of rust hued red hair that he looked like a fire demon; the other had steely teal eyes, sharpened like knives. He told them their story, told them that their charge was ill, that people were talking about the healer who could cure anything. The two men seemed ready to dice him into pieces, doubtful, but they came with him since they were eventually headed there either way.

Hazuki wondered which of the men the famed healer was. Both of them looked as fierce as it got. He hoped that whoever the healer was, he really could be of some help because, he couldn’t think of an alternative where they’d lose their prince. The men talked little and the boy with them had a wistful look about him as if he missed something, as if he wished to be somewhere else. Hazuki realized that the emotion played in those eyes was the same as their prince had whenever he thought that no one looked. Now the prince's eyes were vacant on the mere occasion that they opened.

Hazuki had spent five days in search and in returning back to the village and when he invited the other men in, Haruka was a ghost of his earlier self. Not that the boy had been any good before he had left but this was too much. He shared a meaningful look with Tachibana who was sitting besides the prince, one hand buried in his _khalat_ , in case something would happen.

“An elder told us that the condition in his eyes is contagious, please be careful.” Hazuki sat at the foot of the bed and nodded towards the other boy, indicating that they should keep the child away. But astonishingly, the boy approached and sat beside the bed and smiled sweetly.

“Don’t worry, please. I’ll be alright.” He pushed up his sleeves and leaned on the prince who was mumbling incomprehensible things in his fever frayed sleep. “This is bad…” The boy’s brows furrowed. “The condition in his eyes looks like trachoma. He kept rubbing at them, didn’t he?” He asked, his eyes looking older than his body was. Tachibana numbly nodded and Hazuki watched him with a slackened jaw. “He must have caught it from someplace where there is little water but are large herds. How long has he been like this?”

“A-about two months for his eyes, three weeks for his fever...” Hazuki answered, still disbelieving. “But, wait, wait, wait… Is he the healer?!” He asked to the teal eyed male in utter surprise and a little belittling tone in his voice.

The teal eyed male nodded from where he stood by the entrance. “He _is_ the healer.” He enunciated with a serious posture.

“But… How? Are you trying to swindle us?” Tachibana looked as rattled as Hazuki felt but he was still ready to draw his sword if it was needed.

“Gentlemen…” The fiery haired man intervened, his countenance exuding calmness and authority. “Just let him have a look at your charge.”

“Yes, it is as he says…” The boy began to talk without tearing his eyes away from his patient, serene and to the point.

“He’ll go blind if this is not treated.” He declared, wiser than his years. “Bring me boiled water quickly. Let’s clean his eyes a bit.”

Hazuki got up and went to do as he was told.

“I need some cloths. Clean pieces. If there is none, boil some in water and bring them, too.”

Tachibana was the one who took up the task.

“And one more thing…” The boy stopped, for the first time looking up at the adults. “What is his name?”

“Haruka...” Tachibana answered, witnessing how learning that brought a huge smile on the boy’s face.

Haruka woke up to the sound of his name being called as if coming from a far away dream. He concentrated on the voice, trying to move, but it was impossible to twitch even a finger. Yet the voice persisted. It was a beautiful voice, hearing it was clearing Haruka’s mind. It belonged to a boy and all of a sudden, forgetting his torment, Haruka wanted to open his eyes and see him. The desire was so strong that when he finally managed to crack his eyelids a bit, he cried in pain and disappointment, because all he saw was a bluish light and the girls. They danced around the light and Haruka spent every bit of his energy to see past the light and find out who the owner of the voice was.

“Good! That’s very good, Haruka!” The other was commending him, his voice cheerful, so happy. For a moment, Haruka resented that happiness. Here, he was in so much pain, he was going crazy, and he was boiling and blistering. What was to be cheerful about it? Yet the other’s voice was like an anchor and despite his irritation, he held onto it dearly.

“Now then… I know it’s hard but open your eyes further, Haruka, open them and look up at me.”

 _Ah…_ He wanted nothing more than being able to do that. But he couldn’t. There was only light. Frustration gnawed at his insides and he tried to move, asking for water, repeating the demand like a mantra.

He felt a soft touch under his head, “Here…” But then… “Ow!” The voice recoiled after its owner let him go. “You are burning! How can anyone be alive with this fever?” The boy’s bewilderment was so strong that it even made Haruka flinch, his breath laboring further as if there wasn’t enough air.

“Isn’t it normal? He is running a fever.” Another voice, it was Tachibana-san and another touch, a bigger hand.

“You can touch him?” The boy asked, astonished. “It is... It is like he is melting! He is burning like the sun.”

And there was silence after that comment, as if it had been a condemnation. But Haruka wanted that hand to return. It felt cool for a moment there. He wanted the feeling back.

“How can someone run a fever like this for weeks yet still survive…” It was not a question, the boy was murmuring to himself in utter disbelief.

“Alright, alright... Bring it near.” Sound of water and then the touch returned, wet and cool and life giving and taking Haruka’s breath away like he had never breathed before.

“Calm down, Haruka… Calm down…” The boy was cooing to him and Haruka loved to hear that tone.

“Pour water over us.” The other ordered and Haruka started to violently shiver when his body was drenched slowly.

“Open up.” And the next moment he was drinking the most delicious and the freshest water that he had ever drunk, mending him deep inside.

“Slowly… There, there… Slowly, Haruka…” There was a smile in the boy’s voice and the water finished all too soon.

“Give me a piece of cloth.” But without a warning, agony captured him. His eyes were being wiped at; the lids were being coaxed open. And surprisingly, he started to trash, reaching up to the boy who was holding his head and upper body to him and grabbed at him wherever he could. His touch made the other cry in pain but the skin was so cool, so life giving that Haruka couldn’t stop himself. He burrowed to the other as much as humanly possible, his grip vice like. “Water, pour water over us!” The smile was gone from the voice and the arms that held him were trembling, but Haruka was far beyond from registering the pain he was inflicting. And after a few splashes over their bodies, one of the adults forcefully pried him from the other boy, making him wail in loss like a siren. The golden girls were giggling at him.

The adults around him fussed over the other boy, some of them a bit angry, the others apologetic. But Haruka didn’t register most of the conversation, mumbling for water again, crying involuntarily and reaching blindly for the other boy.

“You have to endure.” The other’s voice sounded a bit put off, but all the same, he touched his forehead courageously, even though he flinched a bit. Soft whispers surrounded him in a language he had never heard before but he likened it to the noise the water made as it fell on the stone and the earth and the leaves. Water was continually splashed to his head, cleaning his eyes and face, calming him a bit.

“You sleep now.” The boy said. “You’ll need it next time you wake up, Haruka.” And the voice cooed him back to sleep in that unknown language.

“I can’t believe you let him endure such a scorching fever for so long. His eyes are damaged. If you leave this alone, he’ll lose his sight and eventually die.” The boy declared after Haruka’s breath calmed down. “Actually, it is a miracle he had survived this long!”

“But nothing can bring his temperature down. We tried so many medicines and herbs.” Tachibana protested in anguish.

“This fever is not because of an illness.” The boy looked back at their prince, now his own face solemn and upset. “He is tired.” He mumbled thoughtfully. “He has come a long way, hasn’t he? He is so tired and his soul is so worn out that only water could heal him.” It was as if the boy was talking about himself, too, Hazuki thought, but the moment passed when he turned his determined gaze back to the adults. “Bring us to a water body here. I’ll wash him there. It’ll be the fastest solution, though it’ll hurt a lot.”

Haruka didn’t know but, these words created quite the argument among the adults, the boy listening to them patiently, knowing that in the end he’d cure the other boy either this way or that way. His patient was too sick to endure any more of this fever. But instinctively, when their skin contacted, he understood that the black haired one didn’t need normal medicine. He had never seen someone like this. If he had to describe it, Haruka was like a dried up plum. Human body consisted of quite a good amount of water, but the one in Haruka was nearly dead, causing great suffering to the black haired boy. How could someone become like this, he didn’t know, but at least there was a fool proof solution for it even though it hurt like there was no tomorrow. Yet he believed that Haruka was strong enough to endure it.

As the others argued, mostly Tachibana trying to dispel his doubts, Hazuki watched the other boy. The kid looked so innocent and devoted. He thought that the small kid could easily be the definition of purity and strength of believing in the goodness of things. There was a sad kind of gentle smile on the boy’s face as he cooed to his patient, massaging the prince’s forehead. Hazuki could see that the palm of the kid was an angry red, as if it was burnt and blistered, but the boy was no longer flinching. His eyes going wide, Hazuki asked. “Is that a burn in your palm?”

The kid looked up at him and sheepishly drew his hand back and reached to his neck to rub at his nape. “Yes, but I’ll heal myself later, it’s nothing.” And Hazuki saw some other angry red burns on the child's neck area where their prince had grabbed at before. His mouth slackened in shock.

The child’s confession alerted his guardians. The teal eyed one immediately went to him and looked into his hand, his face turning murderous in an instant. “You are not doing this!” He hissed like a doting parent would.

The child regarded him calmly and to Hazuki’s surprise, he took on a serious look. “No, I will. He’ll die sooner or later if I don’t.”

The adults exchanged looks that told a lot but it was as if the boy’s words were final. “So, will you take us to the water or not?” He asked.

Tachibana and Hazuki eventually gave their consent. “But know that it’ll cause great pain. He’ll scream and cry a lot, but he’ll be cured even from the illnesses you haven’t realized yet.”

They didn’t know what to do with that information but they were desperate enough to try everything.

The next thing Haruka knew was that the feeling of being submerged into water as his body was passed from a strong embrace to a frail child’s arms. Even through the haze of his consciousness, he immediately recognized the owner of the arms and relaxed. The other held him cautiously, gently as they sat in a shallow body of water. The pain was immense but the relief that the water gave was wonderful. He tried to open his eyes, tried to move in that small cool embrace, but he couldn’t.

“Haruka, do you know how to swim?” The boy was asking in a small voice. “I know and I wish we could swim here together. This lake is so beautiful and cool. It is so friendly and it agreed to help you.” Haruka honed in onto the voice with everything he got. He was crying. “Haruka, it will hurt. It’ll hurt quite a lot, but try to bear it, because you’ll be as good as new, okay? I promise.”

If he could, Haruka would beg the other to spare him from the pain that he was already going through, but all he could do was tremble in the water, his world narrowed down to that sweet, merry voice. Then it started.

The boy began to talk. The language was the same as the sound of water moving and Haruka felt the water around them stir, tremble and shiver like a human being or a great animal would do. It grew colder and it enveloped him like a tight second skin, Haruka had never felt something like this. It was as if he was being sucked into a glass bell jar, his ears popping, and his eyes starting to burn. But this was the tolerable part.

Suddenly a flash of light flooded his eyes and he saw the golden girls around him, this time silent, looking on at him in awe, in fear. With that sight came such a ferocious pain from deep within his own core that he started to scream like had never done before. His voice hurt his own ears but even that was not enough to express the magnitude of what he was going through. He was trashing madly, but the water had hands and it kept him in place, causing great fear in him, making him think that this torture was inescapable and infinite.

His whole body was out of his control, something worked in his veins, in his marrows, shred by shred, bit by tiny bit. He believed that he was bleeding from his ears, eyes and nose, all his hair was uprooted and nails were being pulled. The girls watched.

He didn’t know how long the pain lasted, but when it subsided, he was surrounded by a blue light, soft and cold, comfortable. He snuggled deeper into the embrace of the other boy, listening to his mysterious words. He felt boneless, he felt as if he was one with the water, as if he was lying among cool sheets of finest silk. As the boy was washing his eyes, he was crying softly, burrowing to the crook of the other’s neck, this time finding the power to return his embrace, making the boy laugh.

“I think you feel quite alright now, ne, Haruka?” The merry voice asked and he shivered, rejuvenated, completely cleansed, and completely new. Haruka just hummed and nuzzled his cheek to the other, making him laugh again. It was unbelievable how he felt as if he wasn’t the one who had gone through all that torment for two months. But he was alright now. All he wanted was this wonderful feeling of being surrounded by water and being in the other’s arms to continue as he slept and slept.

“Remember Haruka.” The voice called to him, clearing his mind from the impending sleep for a moment. “When you wake up, come and see this lake, okay? Thank it for lending me its hand. Thank it for granting us life.” He hummed again and held onto his savior as if he’d never let go and he was thankful that until the moment that he lost consciousness, the other let him cling, petting his hair, cooing to him in that strangly beautiful language of his.

When Haruka woke up five days later, he was overwhelmed. He could see again, his eyes didn’t hurt and his fever was gone. Taking all these in took some time as his guardians doted on him, happy and thankful that their prince was healthy again, their eyes tearful. But what Haruka wanted to see more than anything was that other boy who cured him. He did not remember most of what happened in his delirium, but he recalled those cool hands, life giving, merciful, gentle, pure and powerful. He could remember that sweet merry voice talking to him, asking and telling him things, laughing, chirping in a language he didn’t know, calming and encouraging him. He knew that he was someone around his age but had so much inner strength and so much generosity. He wanted to touch the other again, see for himself if he really felt as crystal cool as he remembered, see if life would flow to him where he’d touch him.

But… The boy was gone.

What jarred Haruka more was the adults telling him that they did not see any shimmering blue light, no stirring of water or anything otherworldly as Haruka had experienced. All they saw was the boy washing their prince as he murmured a spell like thing and their prince screaming and trashing in the shallow bank of the lake.

Haruka had never been more disappointed than he was now, both with himself and with the turn of the events, doubting his sanity. Was everything a fever induced dream or what… He didn’t even get to see the boy even though he had wanted to do it so much that it hurt.

“How was he like?” He asked, deciding that he’d keep the meager memory of what he had experienced to himself to be not labeled as mad.

“He was a sweet kid, always smiling, his eyes twinkling.” They’d say. “He was small just like you. He was amazing. He cured you and looked after you for two days here.”

“But how was he like?” He questioned again, meeting with uncomprehending eyes.

“He was a gentle boy. He was…”

“His eyes? His hair? His name?” Haruka interrupted in a rare show of impatience.

And the adults looked at each other in a slowly dawning horror, realizing that they remembered nothing about the boy who cured their prince. “We… We didn’t ask his name, yes… But I don’t quite remember if he had brown hair or blonde hair.” Tachibana muttered in shock.

“Neither do I…” Hazuki joined, slapping his forehead in self deprecation. “What kind of horrifying people that we have met! I can’t believe how unguardedly we had trusted them. We were jinxed by them!”

“Horrifying?” Haruka protested. “But I am cured!” The Beys had nothing to say to that, understanding that their guests probably had a reason for secrecy. “I hope you have rewarded them accordingly.”

Tachibana’s eyebrows rose in dejection. “They didn’t take it no matter how much money we had offered to them. The boy refused my every offer but I gifted them a pair of _janbiya_ that my grandfather had made by hand, my prince.”

Haruka nodded, bowing his head. He really wanted to meet that boy. It was such a desire that it ached as if the other boy threw a hook and caught one of his heartstrings and wherever he was going now; he was dragging that thread connected to his heart and pulling it, making it twinge. But he couldn’t voice any of it, marveling at the maddening sensation that the water left on his skin. He wondered would it still be the same if he’d swim in that lake that he was cured in. He promised himself to visit it, not because he remembered the words of the boy, but simply because he was curious.

Yet the biggest of the shocks was yet to come. After he recuperated for over a week, getting his energy back enough to travel again, he stepped outside in the morning as the sun was about to rise.

What he saw made him fully come to terms with the fact that he was completely crazy. The girls were back, they appeared out of thin air as the sun shone on them, as if making them visible to the eye slowly. They were all looking at him with awe in their eyes. Then one of them fell to her kneels and reverenced him.

_Good morning, our king! Bid us whatever you will!_

All the other girls knelt, too, and repeated the same thing, looking up at him, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

Later, Haruka was going to learn that he was actually quite sane even though he was the only one who could see and hear the girls. They were named Arinna, servants of their Sun God, and he could command them. As he grew up, he realized that not only the sun maidens, but also the fire djinns, called Ifreeth, would do his bidding -yet not always with the same obedience.

But for now, he chose to run back to their earthen house to hide there until he found the courage enough to face them, the girls laughing at his retreating back fondly.

_TBC…_

* * *

**Khalat** is a loose long sleeved outher robe, short like a jacket or long like a mantle, made from cotton or silk. It is the dark gray robe that Rin wears in the ED.

 **Turban** is a head wear, generally made from long pieces of cloth, worn by men and woman alike with different wrapping styles, varying in shape and color.

 **Janbiya** is a distinctly shaped, curved dagger used among Arabic cultures, worn under the belt on the side of the user.

 **Arinna** is the name of the Hittite Sun Goddess. In this universe, it is the umbrella term used for the maidens of the Sun God that is worshipped in Shalbatana and some other countries bordering it. They distribute the rays of the sun, giving life to everything, looking out for the fertility and longevity of the lands, people, and animals.

 **Ifreeth** (originally efreet, ifreet, afreet) is a fire djinn/demon. In this universe they generally live in the hearts of the houses, they are territorial and generally disobedient. They can be a source of warmth, safety, and light while also be the cause of great misfortune and destruction.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning for this chapter:** Depiction of a fight, violence, slavery auction.

 

* * *

  
**Chapter 2**

“This could be dysentery, bilharzia or even cholera.” Rin muttered in agitation, rubbing the back of his neck. He was sitting beside the bed of two sick children, harsh sunlight beating through the open windows and the door.

The kids were boys around the age of six or seven. When Rin had entered the house, they looked so gaunt and pale that for a moment Rin had thought they were dead. The boys were barely awake, having trouble in breathing and running a severe fever.

Rin’s eyebrows drew together. “How long have they been like this?”

An old woman, the grandmother of the kids answered, her voice laden with worry and sadness. “More than a week... They have bloody diarrhea, too.” She bowed her snow white head in hopelessness, tears in her eyes.

“Uncover them.” Rin watched as the village chief helped the old woman undress the kids. The boys' abdomens looked bloated on their right side and there were skin lesions here and there on their legs and feet as if they itched severely. “Turn the boys around.” He said, slowly coming to a diagnosis. “There it is. The spleen of this boy looks larger than normal.” Rin nodded at the village chief to cover the trembling boys. “Are we close to the irrigation canals? I didn't see any when we entered from the north.”

The chief looked confused. “There is one that go around the edge of the village, on the east.”

“The water is mostly stagnant in the canals this time of the year here.” Rin made the connection in his head. “You let the kids play around the water?” He asked incredulously, but mostly with the disappointment of someone who had become used to hearing the answer.

“Yes, but what has it got to do with this?” The other man helplessly gazed back at Rin.

“Ai, go and ask the parents of the other kids if they have the same symptoms as the boys here and if they let them play around the irrigation canals.”

Aiichiro, who had been sitting near Rin silently all through this, nodded his head determinately and sprang to his feet. “Yes, Sempai.”

“Find me at the village square.” And before Rin even got up from the ground, the silver haired boy was out. “Please take me to the canal. The children of this village have caught bilharzia, the snail fever.”

The old woman gasped and visibly shivered at the news, her tired shoulders sagging further. Rin felt the familiar twinge in his heart at the sight of the grandmother’s misery. He sighed, correcting his two janbiya daggers and covered them with his biege khalat. Before he left the house, he turned to the old woman and smiled encouragingly at her. “Boil some water and let it cool down. Make the boys drink it as much as you can, Granny. I’ll cure them for you, I promise.” And finally, his words put a little hope on her worry-wrinkled face.

Rin exited the earthen house, walking briskly with the village chief side by side, passing other houses and small gardens towards the irrigation canal.

The village was a relatively big one, on the outskirts of Ain, in the Kingdom of Shalbatana. Even though Shalbatana was the sworn enemy of where Rin came from, he liked wandering around this kingdom's edge, so close to the Great Desert. The air was acrid here during this season; agriculture was not thriving even though there were irrigation canals around.

The canals were coming from the dam built on the major water supply of not only Shalbatana, but also Kissaara up north. Now there was a moderately sized lake on River Arda within Shalbatana's borders, cutting the water flow to Kissaara into a quarter of what it used to be. Thus, ever since the dam had been constructed, an animosity of unparalleled proportions was born between this kingdom and Kisaara. A conflict over water... And water was the most valuable commodity of all.

Rin's face scrunched up in deep thought. The dam was a natural disaster in the making but apparently the authorities in Shalbatana thought otherwise. This outbreak of bilharzia around the irrigation canals during late summer had been around for three years. Considering the dam was nearly 10 years old, one would have thought that by now the authorities of the kingdom would be aware of the possibilities of outbreaks in water based illnesses. But nothing was done; no precautions were taken, no care at all was given other than trying to grow more and more food to feed the ever hungry people.

Rin uttered a small _tch_ sound between his clenched teeth as they approached the canal. Just like others he had seen before, it was dug deep into the hard soil, lined with stones and banks that were made with admittedly fine masonry. But they were not protected against the elements, especially the sun and the debris picked up by the desert winds. Rin knew that the canals running through all five city centers of Shalbatana were covered. But here, closer to the southern border where water was not used for irrigation but for drinking and everyday needs, the canals were unprotected.

Was it a matter of lack of enough resources, namely money, or inconsideration and bad planning, Rin honestly didn't know. Yet, what it caused was apparent and soul wrenching for Rin to witness. The stream in the canal was dead and so was the water.

He came closer. The earth was mucky with water that drained from the masonry, parasitic useless flora was thriving on the banks of the canal. The water was mostly still, only a very small flow was visible and that was blocked here and there by moss, stones, and unsurprisingly, garbage. This angered Rin, so much so that he clenched his hands into tight fists.

“They don't let much water in summer from the dam, I can understand that, but couldn't you people keep the canals free of debris and garbage?” He spat, causing the chief to flinch. “How could you let the kids play here?”

There was ashamed silence from the chief as answer. Rin looked on in rage for a few seconds more and then _tsked_ and stomped around, inspecting the premises with the stick the chief had brought. There were tadpoles in the water and snails in the foliage, some foul smell arising as he poked around.

The water was dead. It was silent. And nothing saddened Rin more than that.

He turned towards the chief and squarely gazed into the older man's bleak eyes. “I will cure your children, Hasan Aga.” He said. “But you'll do as I say from now on, without a question. Do we have a deal?” He cocked his head to the side and narrowed down his maroon eyes.

The older man joined his hands together at the front in complete resignation and bowed his head a bit in respect. “As you wish, Beyim.”

Within a few hours, most of the villagers were gathered in the village square and were listening to Rin.

“You have to clean the canal and keep it as free of debris and garbage as possible. Though I understand, the slow flow of the stream is not your fault but you are making things worse by polluting what feeds your wells and the underground water.”

A few mutterings and grunts were heard among the crowd, Rin hearing some of them.

_It is not our job._

_Why should we do the dirty work?_

Rin got incensed upon the words, but his friend Aiichiro's worried face stopped him from getting back at the others. “If you poison the water, the water will poison you in retaliation, what did you expect?” He admonished harshly, forgetting for a moment that he had to be more constructive. He sighed, his anger withering when he thought about the sick kids. “Clean the canal, keep it as such. Boil your water, keep your hands and food clean, prevent anyone from meddling with the canal, and don’t let the kids go near them. Bilharzia is not the only contagious illness that comes from water. During this season, when the water is still, I suggest you to look out for your animals. Provide them with fresh water, too.” And he talked and talked. As he taught the villagers, the people respected him even more, running around to find the herbs and other curative things that Rin asked for.

It was tedious work, but finally Rin managed to prepare enough herbal cure for all the sick people. There were ten children and three adults -the parents of some of the children. As he promised, Rin was at the old woman's house. Granny's house shared a well with five other surrounding cottages and Rin and Aiichiro were now standing before it.

“I'm seriously losing my faith in humanity, Ai...” Rin was complaining, totally dispirited and appalled. “They have upset this village's Arank to such an extent that it refuses to come out.” With an _hmph!_ sound, he sat on the ground, crossing his arms on his chest in annoyance.

Aiichiro neared the well which was reaching up to his mid-thighs, chancing a glance into its dark depths with wonder in his eyes.

“Don't lean in too much, you might fall.” Rin warned distractedly, startling the other and causing him to actually lose his balance for a few seconds there. But the silver haired young man quickly got a hold of himself and fell back to the ground right next to Rin, before the other could get up and help him.

“Ai!..” Rin admonished the younger one good naturedly and Aiichiro broke into a series of apologies for scaring the other.

“It's alright, it's alright.” Rin huffed, but his mood quickly turned sour again. “It is just that if you fell into it, I wouldn't be able to save you. It is so riled that it would have trapped you until you'd drown.” He sighed again.

“This kind of things didn't use to happen often, did they, Senpai?” Aiichiro asked, looking back at the well not with fear but with pity.

“Ever since that dam came into use, the water in the river basin is irritated... The Arank on the edge of the Herdesherr Desert are getting furious and upset day by day.” Rin straightened as he breathed with determination and closed his eyes before burying his fingers up to the last knuckles into the hard earth near the well.

Aiichiro watched him sit still in concentration and he didn't dare utter a single word as he waited for the red haired male to give his verdict upon the situation. Rin's lips were moving in a silent language that Aiichiro doubted anyone other than Rin understood. It looked as if he was in a heated debate with someone. Aiichiro knew what Rin was doing and that it required patience and time.

As the sun started to set behind them, Aiichiro continued guarding his Senpai, not making a noise, nor moving.

After more than half an hour, the water in the well started to make bubbling and splashing sounds and Rin took a very deep breath, opening his eyes and releasing his hold on the dry earth. “Ai, will you get some water for me from the well?” He looked a bit tired, but satisfied.

“Yes!” Elated by Rin's happiness, Aiichiro started to enthusiastically turn the sweep, bringing up a bucket of water with a bluish bright light that only Rin could see accompanying it.

Rin smiled as he heard a meek, animal like noise saluting him. “Good to see you, too.” The red haired male nodded.

* * *

Haruka watched his men unload the goods from the animals.

They were in the country of Belili, the largest kingdom on this side of the Desert Herdesherr. Haruka hated the place with all his might because there was not a shred of humidity in the air. But this hatred was not solely reserved to this country. In fact, there were few places that Haruka liked at all which were all far away from the seemingly endless desert that covered the south of the continent. Yet, life was cruel and you never knew where you'd end up at.

Belili was a desert country; its cities were all huddled around large oases. This city that they regularly brought their goods to was one of them. Nefer was a bustling trading center, vivid with energy, where trouble was abundant because thievery and fraudulence were common practices. And never forget that the city was a crossroads for human trafficking of documented and undocumented kind.

Haruka leaned against the granite pillar of the storehouse building, overlooking his men's work in the yard as animal after animal was unloaded and led away by the men towards their inn.

The storehouse belonged to him; a large administrative building behind heavy doors and a beautiful yard with a fountain in the middle of it. Below this grandiose was a huge underground depository where the unloaded goods were now categorized and taken to. Haruka was one of the few people who owned something like this. It seemed like a privilege but it actually had cost Haruka quite a lot. This building and his permission to do commerce in the country were granted by the annual tribute that he paid to Belili's ruler.

Wherever he traded with, he had a building like this. People that knew him thought that he was rich enough to buy a kingdom, which was technically correct. But he didn't look it in the least. In fact, he looked more like a cold blooded bandit and he consciously fed the idea with the long kilij strapped boldly to his belt and his turban sinisterly fashioned around his head and over his face. None of the Beys wore less than adorned kaftans and khalats or silk bishts, but Haruka wore a tight half shirt under a loose piece of cloth folded around his shoulders. His dark gray shalvar was comfortable and it was all that mattered. Ostentatious clothes were an invitation to death and the bandits were ever ready.

Last five of the camels were now free of their burden and led out by a man as Makoto, his childhood friend, approached him with a thick roll of paper and a portable ink holder and a pen in his hands. He deposited the items on the small table Haruka had been standing beside and motioned to a wooden chair for him to sit.

“We have finished the documentation, Haru.” Makoto sat down next to his friend and fanned his face a bit. The afternoon sun was sweltering and Haruka's sour mood was not helping the matter either. Makoto smiled knowingly at that. “Stop eying the fountain, I ordered the servants to empty it until the night fall.”

Haruka huffed and turned his head around in mild annoyance. It was irresistible to him, to jump into any kind of water body wherever he saw one. Even though he knew soaking in the decorative fountain pool among so many strangers and his men was inappropriate, Haruka couldn't help it.

“Wait for a bit until we compare and check the sales reports here, Haru.” Makoto continued to smile. “I promise that we'll sneak to the edge of the oasis tonight.”

Now that did the trick and made Haruka's sea blue eyes sparkle. Motivated enough with the promise, he pulled the documents towards himself and started to study them, Makoto watching him with a fond and gentle look.

They sat there until the night fall, the manager of the storehouse accompanying them with more paperwork and transaction register books. Makoto and Haruka checked and compared not only their caravan's documents but all the other ones belonging to Shalbatana's trade, collected and managed from this particular storehouse. It was a very tiring work but Haruka had to survey it as the legal owner of them all.

By dinner time Haruka was bored out of his wits but things were in order. They ate lightly and made the short work for their inn to have a few hours of rest before they left with horses to the edge of the city.

Actually, the city never slept but the nights were really cool, the clear skies sucking the warmth of the desert to the point that it was sometimes quite chilly. Around two am, it was the coolest and most people preferred to get a shuteye whilst it was cool enough to sleep. Now was Haruka's chance.

As expected of Makoto, he was ready with two dark horses at the stables, giving the reigns of one to Haruka. They were out and unsurprisingly not the only ones around. The bazaar was still noisy, some vendors were resupplying, some were packing up and some were opening their tents and stands for the next day. But it was a subdued noise and much more tolerable than the wild commotion of the day time.

“There is no moon tonight.” Makoto observed, his green eyes lost in the sky as they rode in a calm pace through the city towards the end of the oasis. “It feels eerie.”

“So that's why Masami is following us.” Haruka commented without even looking back.

“Being prepared never hurts, right? Only traders, drunks and bandits are outside this time of the night.”

“Then pretend we are bandits, too.”

Makoto smiled at the monotonously uttered answer. “Maybe we should consider changing our profession.”

“I don't care as long as I can travel to find new places to swim in.” Haruka urged his horse to pick up the pace now that they were pretty far away from the busy places.

Makoto sighed in mock exasperation behind his friend, letting the other gain on him. He was used to hearing those words, because water meant everything for his friend, for their country. But water, like a capricious lover, eluded him. That was the single most reason why they had become tradesmen, abandoning their titles, growing up in caravans, wandering the continent from the coasts up in the north to the desert down in the south. They had been to many places but had never lingered at one place for long. They saw their own country less frequently than they saw other places. All because Haruka loved water but his love wasn't reciprocated much.

Makoto spurred his horse on, too and before long, they were at the downstream of the oasis. And as expected, Haruka jumped down his horse and quickly shed what little he had been wearing and without a care dove into the water. Makoto huffed and looked around, trying to spot any prying eyes or danger. Masami kept his distance but he climbed down from his horse, too, hand resting on his wide kilij, his eyes alert. Makoto nodded to him and took their horses to the nearest tree, tying their reigns to it.

“Isn't it cold?” He asked his friend.

“No.” Haruka shrugged as expected. Makoto knew that even if it was chilling, his friend wouldn't utter a single word of complaint. That much was Haruka's need to swim.

He walked towards the bank of the water and crouched down precariously on the edge of the stream among the still green foliage. This place was their regular spot in Nefer and never before had they been caught or disturbed. Since they were downstream and didn't dirty the water, there was nothing to complain. And even if there was, Haruka's gold pouch solved many problems. Also never underestimate the persuasive power of the one hundred armed men at his disposal. No wonder they had never been bothered before by anyone who had heard of them.

But the air around them was still and there wasn't much nocturnal noise other than what Haruka's movements in the water caused. Makoto gazed about worriedly, but didn't utter a word in consideration of his friend's rarely found enjoyment. He tried to suppress his nervousness by petting the greenery around, hearing their tiny whispers as he did so.

“You should swim, too, Makoto.” Haruka swam towards him, all aware of his friend's turmoil.

Makoto restlessly shrugged. “No, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

“You are easily spooked.” Haruka shook his head to clear his dark hair from his eyes. There was a half smile on his lips.

Upon his friend's words Makoto looked sideways with a self derisive smile of his own. “You enjoy yourself.”

Haruka shrugged and swam further. He understood Makoto's concern but the water was simply too divine for him to care. It was cool and enveloped him like a luxurious silk sheet, driving away the memory of the day's unpleasant hotness. It was deep; his feet thankfully didn't reach the understandably slimy mud floor of the stream. And the current was not strong. For him, this was the definition of peace when he turned on his back and willed himself to stay still, letting the water carry him, looking up at the huge stars dotting the pitch black heavens.

“Where shall we go next, Makoto?” He asked suddenly.

Startled a bit from his silent exchange with a little water lily that he found on the shallow side of the stream, Makoto looked at Haruka in surprise. “We came here _this morning_ , Haru.” His eyebrows drew together as if he was exasperated. But he knew what Haruka meant and turned his eyes towards the skies, too. It was like a velvet sea, decorated with pearls and diamonds. “Maybe it is time to breath in some salty sea air...” He contemplated aloud, voicing Haruka's thoughts. “Why not, actually?” It wasn't a question, but a decision.

The water splashed and Haruka turned back to swimming, hiding his small relieved smile in the water. “Then it is settled.”

* * *

Aiichiro was crouching in the entrance of the Granny's house, his head resting on his fisted hands in deep concentration. He was watching the night sky with narrowed eyes. No moon was present to shed a bit of illumination to the sleeping village.

Rin was tending to the old woman's grandchildren, helping them slowly drink spoonful after spoonful of the mixture that he had prepared earlier. He knew that the other children and the adults were getting the same treatment as he had instructed their caregivers earlier.

The night was quite chilly, but thankfully Granny was spry enough to stay awake and provide them with a fire going in the heart and some herbal tea steeping on the stove.

“Ai, you'll get cold.” Rin warned without dividing his attention from his work. The other youth didn't answer, which was something rare, considering he'd always be all ears if Rin would say something to him. “Oi, you must be chilled to the bone. Come inside.” Rin tried again.

Even though late, this time an answer came. “Sempai, there is something wrong with the night.”

That made Rin stop and turn towards his friend. “How wrong?” He asked cautiously but calmly to not frighten the old woman.

Aiichiro had a very keen sense of danger and generally when he felt disturbed, something would go wrong. This trait of his saved them many times from really crappy situations. Thus, Rin always heeded Aiichiro's concerns.

“Something is out there...” Aiichiro turned back to Rin with a grim expression on his face. “Bidding its time.”

Now that was not good. Rin closed his maroon eyes and called the Arank of the well back to him. When he concentrated enough, he shuddered with a feeling of foreboding. “The water is disturbed, too.” He clicked his tongue harshly. They had just come to this village and without a moment of respite, they were probably going to be in grave trouble. “That something, Ai... Is it a pack of wolves or jackals? Hyaenas?” He hoped it was so.

“No, the birds would have told me if it was so, Sempai.”

Rin turned towards the old woman, standing up. “Granny, put that fire out.” He instructed and did the same to the small oil lamps. “We should get the kids to the inner room and stay guard here.”

Aiichiro immediately got up to help, carrying the kids and their bedding into the storeroom of the small house together with Rin.

The old woman tried to go out to warn her neighbors but Rin persuaded her to stay with her kids. If something would happen then there was no way to warn the others without creating a commotion to attract and spur their assaulter into action.

Rin gave her the rest of the medicine and told her to lock and barricade the door from behind. The wooden thing was a flimsy barrier but maybe its poor condition would be a distraction.

By now, Aiichiro's short kilij was unsheathed and they were hiding in the shadows, the door of the house closed. To his younger's horror and indignation, Rin was still sipping the tea that the grandmother had made for them from the earthen cup. He was used to Aiichiro's reactions to his antics by now. Since he got a certain thrill from danger and besting something or someone that was probably stronger than him, he had to divert his attention with something to keep focused. There was nothing to do other than waiting. Not even the nocturnal noises were present and the well at the back of the house felt like a graveyard.

Rin berated himself for not realizing this danger sooner but there would have been little he could do then, since he wasn't someone to leave the villagers to their own devices after promising them to cure their sick. He took another sip from from the hot tea, his eyes trained to the dim light coming from the windows that they were crouching under.

A shadow passed.

He shared a tense glance with Aiichiro and unsheathed the janbiya strapped to the front of his belt. Neither of them were breathing as a shadow stopped in front of the window that Aiichiro was hiding under. Rin put the earthen cup down and nodded to his friend just in time the door was opened.

A burly man with a thick _pala_ in hand entered the house. Unexpected from someone of his size, he was quiet like a mouse. The man took a few steps into the thick darkness of the room and Rin waited to see if he would lose interest and go out. But no, he advanced more, ever ready to kill whatever moved within the dark.

Rin let Aiichiro to take him out. The slim youth was so agile, so quick that even though he made some noise in his charge, the other man had no time to raise that heavy pala and strike. Aiichiro landed two long slashes on him and for good measure, stabbed his heart when the guy fell to the floor like a potato sack. One would not have pegged Aiichiro as strong, but he was quick to carry the dead man aside into the shadows, too.

Just then another man entered and it looked like he was a bit puzzled, as if wondering where the hell his friend had gone to. This one was carrying a kilij and looked much more alert than his dead friend. He took in a few steps and the first scream pierced the night then, coming from a house really close to where Granny's was.

The man hesitated a bit with the scream and Rin took advantage of it. He sprang from his hiding place, attacked to the man's neck whilst he countered his kilij with the other janbiya that he wore at the back of his belt. The man proved to be more talented than his dead partner in crime.

More screams tore the night and the man bellowed at Rin in frustration because Rin was a master of using daggers, one hand deflecting the sword, the other attacking the man's unprotected side. He slashed the bandit many times, but apparently he couldn't cut deep enough and the bandit was stouter than he let on.

Yet his bellowing brought in more men.

Rin kicked his tea mug towards the newcomer, burned and distracted, the bandit got hit in the chest with one of Aiichiro's short daggers. Just as Rin managed to land a fatal slash to his opponent's neck and killed him, it became quite clear that the commotion that they created in the house was going to draw more people's attention.

Rin considered their options. This seemed like a midnight ambush to rob the food and any valuables that the local people had. Now everywhere was filled with screams, stomping horses and the shouts of the bandits. He knew that if they left the house, they'd be face to face with their attackers. Aiichiro was the finest warrior one could ask for, but there was so much the two of them could handle. If they stayed in the house and waited for the commotion to subside, sooner or later these bandits would come in groups to loot the house and find them and kill them. He shared another glance with Aiichiro in the momentary stillness and found the same question in his eyes.

_What should we do?_

He had to be the one who made the decision. He went to the front of the house and looked out of the edge of the window. The bandits were numerous, mostly on foot but there were some riding horses and carrying torches for the others. They were killing the ones that resisted them. Survival instinct kicking in, nearly all the villagers were surrendering and letting their attackers bind them with ropes instead of being slayed. But what made Rin shudder was the fact that bandits were taking hostages.

Men were collecting the youth of the village and tying them together. This was a lost cause, Rin realized. The kids and the old woman inside were very likely to get away alive but Rin couldn't effort getting caught. He made his decision, and even though it was against his principles, they had to run away.

He made a hand gesture to Aiichiro and the younger one immediately caught on. They slithered out together, keeping to the shadows. Their only advantage was the coverage of the moonless night because there was no foliage around to hide them, only boulders, rubbish and old wooden and earthen things. And that was not enough.

Keeping to the walls of the gardens, Rin aimed to the murky and smelly irrigation canal on the east, hoping to hide in it until the raiders would leave the perimeters. They saw one of the date palms and the clothes and animal skins beside it catching fire. The tumult that it fed helped them to advance for a bit but somebody noticed them.

The attack was quick. It was do or die now, so Rin ruthlessly fought. This time the man was really good with his swordplay and Rin didn't dawdle. He simply stabbed his opponent at the first opening he saw but their fight drew in more bandits. Aiichiro was trying to keep up with two men at the same time and Rin immediately went for his help. He grabbed a still burning torch from the ground and threw it with a good aim. It hit one of Aiichiro's attackers squarely and lit him on fire. Taking advantage of the surprise, Aiichiro drew his sword through the other man.

But more and more came, cornering them to a small garden. Suddenly a rider jumped off the wall of the garden that Aiichiro had been standing before to keep his back safe and the silver haired youth saw the rider aiming a thin but very well made lance towards Rin. And Rin's attention was on the next attacker. Without second guessing himself, Aiichiro lunged to the huge animal and made a shrill sound with his mouth, frightening the animal mid action and cutting the leg of the rider in motion. The horse ramped mightily and the man on it, unable to control himself due to the pain, lost balance and fell down, but right down on to Aiichiro. Rin only witnessed the half of the event from where he was fighting and Aiichiro howled in pain and disappeared among the shadows.

Even though he knew he shouldn't have, Rin panicked upon seeing it and hearing that kind of noise coming from his friend. He dodged another swipe of his opponent's sword and ducked and turned unbelievably quick, practically gutting the other like prey. He rushed to where Aiichiro was lying trapped under the dead weight of the fallen rider. But, distracted by the urge to save his younger, he realized the bandit hiding on the corner of the cottage too late. A thick wooden stick was broken on his back and he fell, too, his sight blackening due to the pain. Another hit at the back of his head and the last thing he saw was Aiichiro's crumpled body before he joined him in unconsciousness.

The next time he woke up, Rin had a tremendous headache and backache where he had been hit. His body's natural response was heaving and he actually threw up what little he had eaten that night. He could hear crying around him and colors were swimming but he was conscious enough to remember what had happened and what awaited him next. He tried to sit up, coughing and when he managed it, his world slowly turned steady and marginally less painful.

There were lots of young people around him, males and females, all tied together, shackled on arms and legs with chains. _Damn, damn it all!_ He swore silently and searched for Aiichiro. He didn't have to look far; his friend was lying on the hard ground behind him, whimpering in pain. He tried to reach the other in worry to understand what ailed him but with a vicious crack, he was whipped on his back. He stopped himself from yelping and looked up in animalistic anger, his instincts kicking in and governing him.

“Stay put, you little shit!” A bald, dirty man grinned down at him with an oiled whip and a long kilij in his hands. “Or I'll cut you and your friend. I don't care how much we could make out of you!”

Rin growled at the dirty guard and inched towards Aiichiro even as he got whipped for it again. When he stilled, the man walked away to the other end of the lane, swearing under his breath. He nudged the other youth gently with his foot and Aiichiro looked up, the sadness on his face surpassing the pain he was feeling.

“Sempai... I am sorry.” He managed to whisper. “Because of me...”

Rin stopped him. “No. Don't think like that.” He looked around to see if anyone was watching. “Your ribs?” He asked, seeing the other was nursing his right side carefully.

Aiichiro nodded. “That rider used me as a cushion.”

Rin bit his lip and looked around again. There were twelve young people other than the two of them, huddling together on the edge of the village. Armed men were carrying sacks of villagers' food supply, wheat, oil, date and dried meat. They were carrying refilled skins, most probably with water and wine. Now that Rin carefully counted, there were fifty-two men around, eighteen of them on horseback. There were ten camels, being loaded with the stolen goods of the villagers. Rin knew that together with Aiichiro they had killed six men. Then this party most probably had been consisting of sixty men.

Escaping seemed impossible among this many armed men with their shackles and Aiichiro being wounded. These people were not simple bandits, they were slave traders. None of the youths around him was harmed whilst some villagers were laying around wounded or worse, dead. But most of the villagers were alive, held back by drawn swords and spears, getting hit if somebody tried to reach for their children or their goods. Unsurprisingly, the sick were not taken. Rin sincerely hoped that they weren't killed because they weren't of use for the bandits.

“What will we do?” Aiichiro asked even though he knew there was no answer. Their weapons were taken; he didn't doubt that their money pouches and a few small trinkets that they had been wearing were robbed off them, too.

“We'll bid our time.” Rin answered, not believing that they had even a bit of a chance. They were probably going to be taken to the nearest big market place and sold there even though they were all freemen.

There was this widely accepted regulation which dictated that the people who were caught during the wars by either of the warring sides could be enslaved. They could be bought back by their homeland to be set free or sold to other parties to gain war prize. But everyone knew that anyone you might catch by any means or under any circumstances was a potential commodity for you to trade. You just had to know where to tuck in some money in the slave registration offices.

“Get up! Get up! Get up!” The bald man and another short but sturdy one approached them, kicking and whipping the sitting youth onto their feet. More men with their faces hidden behind tightly wound clothes joined them and within a few minutes everyone was ready to go, to where, Rin could only guess. He helped Aiichiro to get up and taking advantage of the commotion, he checked his friend's wounded side as good as he could under the circumstances.

There seemed to be a swelling but not bad enough to not probe yet, Aiichiro was a tough warrior, he didn't even utter a single sound as Rin checked for any broken bones. As far as Rin could tell, there were some, probably three, fractured bones and one of them was possibly broken. This was nothing immediately life threatening but mostly a big hindrance. Aiichiro was going to be in a lot of pain for a while.

“Just walk, don't resist them. Let's see what we can do.” Rin advised him and patted his arm to reassure the other even though he knew they needed some miracle to escape from his situation. The way their chains connected permitted them to walk side by side, so Rin let the other young man lean on him to save his energy.

Whips cracked and screams heard, the villagers trying the attack the bandits. But they had none of it. The bandits simply wounded or killed anyone who was brave and fool enough to resist them. Their leader, a tall man with a vicious scar on his naked chest threatened them by burning their village down and promised to come back later as a dark omen.

They walked.

The bandits were fast travelers and they didn't stop even under the ruthless midday sun. They talked among themselves very little but from what Rin could hear he understood that these men were from Shalbatana. These scum were pillaging and enslaving their own people. One of the girls they took seemed only ten years old. All of them were frightened, thirsty and hungry; their future taken away from them. There were few things that were as despicable as these men and their so called profession. Rin was shaking with rage, but that was all he could do.

Aiichiro was faring better than he hoped and he now knew where they were heading to. In southeast laid Nefer in the country of Belili. They were to be sold there and nothing came to Rin's mind to avoid that fate.

-

The bandits sold them to a slave trader who was camping on the border of Belili. The man had his own armed guards and he was quite a chatterbox, sleazy and cunning. He made a really hard bargain with the chief of the outlaws. He personally checked his purchases and for a moment Rin feared for Aiichiro. The boy looked paler and his pain was visible on his face. He was a liability in his state and these merciless people could kill him or worse, use him for unutterable things until he died. But the thin man started to play with his mustache as soon as he saw the two friends. Rin had never felt himself dirtier than when the man touched his chest and face to inspect him. It required inhuman strength to not resist or attack the man then and there.

It was the evening of the second day of their captivity and they had been walking nearly forty hours with so little water, nothing to eat and a few moments of rest every now and then. When the chief of the bandits took his money and left them, the sun was hiding behind the dunes of the desert. They were ushered to a large tent, their shackles remaining. Fortunately, they were given water and food since the trader wanted his merchandise to be in perfect condition. That was when Rin had time to actually check Aiichiro's injury. The young man had a large, purple bruise on his right side, swollen. Rin made him bite into a piece of cloth to keep him from screaming and prodded the swell for real as he made the other do several things to shift the bones and listened to his breathing. Yes, there was a broken bone but thankfully it was of the easily mending kind. Aiichiro needed lots of rest and some strong painkillers. He needed to sleep and keep that bruised side as stable as possible.

Rin had been carrying some balms he had made for this kind of painful situations, herbs to ease the the pain and help sleeping, but together with everything he had, they were stolen, too. Then again, if only he had running water, water that was still alive, he could help his friend but the land that they were stopping at was acrid. He tore his khalat into long stripes and bandaged Aiichiro's torso as good as he could after sending his power to his friend's side with his touch, relieving his breathing a bit. The other was apologizing profusely, ashamed of failing Rin and getting them into this situation, but Aiichiro had saved his life by stopping that spear wielding rider. Rin could and would never blame him. What their real concern was how to get away from these people.

Rin observed and waited patiently, there was no way to shake off trained man hunters in desert on foot. But in a city, they had more chance even though one of them was injured. He ate whatever was given to him, made Aiichiro eat and drink his fill, too, to keep their strength. Nefer was less than two days away and that was where Rin made his move.

In the morning of the fourth day of their capture, the trader got them into the city. By midday, they were in the bazaar. Their ankle shackles were taken to let the skin heal from them, presumably to raise their appeal. And the chains were replaced with a sturdy rope, tying them from the shackles on their hands. The guards around them walked a bit away from the group and they were made to wear long cape like cloths as if to hide their chains. Rin understood, their papers were not ready, yet.

He dared to stray a bit to the side, deliberately bumping to a man and stealing his janbiya from him. He got hit for it and shoved back into the group but he was already cutting his rope under the cape. Aiichiro patiently waited for him to pass the blade and when he got it, he made a quick work of his ties, too. Their hands remained shackled but at least they weren't tied to the group now.

They waited, walking among the crowd, passing the vendors, the stalls and when a man herding a group of animals, two camels and five horses, came by them, Aiichiro started to make a musical but very strange sound with his mouth and the horses lost it, attacking the group.

Nobody really understood what happened. Within a few seconds, Rin and Aiichiro got away. Rin wounded one of the guards that noticed their escape with the dagger he took back from his friend. But he did it in such a way that the man seemed to have fallen of his own accord. The horses stampeded and ramped as if in anger. The crowd broke into screams and began running all into different directions. Aiichiro got hold of a horse and Rin threw him onto it, making the other scream in pain. Then he got on, too, smacking its rear harshly to make the horse sprint.

They heard the shrill voice of the tradesman ordering his guards and city patrol to catch them as Rin rode the horse into the bazaar, trying to find a quick escape from the city. Aiichiro was holding onto him but whimpering, the stride of the horse had to be jostling his side. Unsurprisingly, whistles were blown. Now alerted, the patrol started to attack them either on horse or on foot, coming out of unpredictable roads and ways. The streets were narrow and truth be told, Rin didn't know this city much. He made the horse do wild movements, forcing it jump over stalls and walls and stacked goods whilst it carried two people on its back. But he was desperate. They passed by a very ornate, large pool and a water way. Rin whispered under his breath and the water roared to life, flooding the premises and their two followers onto the cobbled street.

Taking advantage of the bewilderment that this caused, Rin steered the horse towards whence they had entered the city but suddenly when he was passing through a narrow street, a large black net was dropped over them, frightening their horse and causing it to stumble. Even though Aiichiro tried to calm it down, it ramped wildly and threw Rin and Aiichiro from its back. Rin quickly cut the net to shreds and freed himself, but just as he was about to take his friend, too, he was kicked in the stomach and hit with something wooden on his back.

Not minding the pain even for a bit, he yowled in anger like a mad man when he saw Aiichiro being hit by a patrol and falling on his wounded side.

“Ai! Ai, don't resist! Don't move!” He was screaming even as he was being beaten by wooden sticks and kicks. His dagger was already knocked out of his hand, he saw Aiichiro going still, a man forcing him onto his hunches, mercifully no longer hitting the half unconscious young man. But it took a while to subdue Rin, his anger and frustration still pumping adrenaline to his system, making him not flinch a bit against his beating.

“I am a free man, you fools!” He was bellowing. “You are serving to kidnappers and pillagers! Let us go! You can't apprehend free men!” But no one heeded him. He was brought to his knees and his head was forced down, people gathering around the commotion and Rin was still struggling, unable to control his ire.

The slave trader came as Rin exerted himself futilely and one of the patrols asked. “These men insist that they are free men. Have you been holding them down forcefully?”

“What a lie!” The thin tradesman shrilly cried. “I have purchased them two days ago. They are war prizes captured in a skirmish on the border of Shalbatana. Look, one of them even has a wound on his side to prove it.” He softly kicked Aiichiro's leg and a patrol checked him, finding the bandages.

“You are the one lying! You pillager! This man is partner in crime with some bandits! They kidnapped us from our village and sold us to him!”

“Here are their identifications.” Completely unfazed, the sleazy man rubbed his mustache with a dirty smile on his face.

Rin looked on with disgusted bewilderment. When the hell the bastard got the papers?

“These seem legitimate enough to me.” The patrol showed the documents to someone else and they both nodded in agreement.

“Those are fake! We are free men! There are twelve other young people together with us! We were kidnapped!” Rin desperately explained.

“Then prove who you are. Is there any means of identification on you? Are there any people who could testify for you?”

“Can't you see that we were robbed?!” Rin asked, appalled and in disappointment. But even if they hadn't been robbed, Rin had not been carrying anything to identify himself with. He could never tell anyone who he or Aiichiro was. They'd either kill him or make him rot in dungeons whilst they'd use him to start a war. This was the risk he'd taken when he had become a wandering healer.

“You can take them.” The patrol let the guards handle Rin and Aiichiro. “But you'll pay for the damages your slaves have caused. And they say one of your men is dead. Is it their doing?”

“Oh, no! No! He is not dead. He is a lucky fool who cut himself when he fell down during the uproar. And I'll pay for the damages, yes.”

If the merchant admitted that Rin was the one who injured the guy, Rin would be thrown into jail and he couldn't sell him. He could always find new muscle, but he considered Rin's beauty as worthy of more than a few lives.

The men took them away, the crowd dispersing, Rin unable to believe how close he had been to freedom, had he been able to reach the lake of the oasis. Aiichiro was hanging limply from the arms of the men and he was crushed with the harsh reality of losing his freedom for an unseen amount of time until he could find a way to reach Sousuke or Seijuro somehow. They would find him and take him to safety from wherever he was, but first, he had to find a way.

* * *

Haruka was sitting under the shade of a coffee house together with Makoto and two of his men when he saw the red haired menace that stormed the bazaar into mayhem. In that instant, something twisted in his chest, as if a hook was caught by one of his heart strings and the pull threatened to dislodge his heart from his ribcage. The feeling was both painful and somehow nostalgic.

Unable to tear his eyes away, he slowly stood up, the pipe of his hookah falling from his hand and he watched that young man with that strikingly red hair quite possibly wound someone, steal a horse, help a friend and ride away, smoothly cutting through the throng of people, into the narrow labyrinth that was called Nefer. It was such a sight that Makoto whistled in awe.

“Mahir, go and learn who that man was and why he did that.”

The said man sprang into action and disappeared quickly upon Haruka's order.

“Haru?” Makoto asked, finding Haruka's order unusual. Normally, Haruka would just observe and turn his back when the commotion subsided, always keeping his distance from things that didn't concern him.

Haruka didn't answer. He calmly sat down and found his pipe again, wiping the mouthpiece.

“I wonder if he is a slave.” Makoto thought aloud, watching his friend's reaction. “He was really fierce.”

Haruka subtly nodded at that and Makoto smiled. “I hope we'll see him again soon.” He uttered what was probably Haruka's silent wish and when the said young man narrowed his eyes down without real anger, Makoto chuckled.

But who knew that his wish would be realized this soon and in such a way.

A few hours later, they were standing before the biggest slave market in the city and that red haired young man was forced onto his knees on the platform, hands and feet in heavy chains.

As soon as Mahir returned and told them what he learned about the escaped slave, Haruka left the coffee house to go to the market, Makoto following him in great surprise for his sudden interest in the other young man.

The red haired slave was covered in bruises, his white shirt torn in the chest area to show the potential customers how strong, healthy and appealing the young man was. But there was actually no need for that. He was a beauty in every sense of the word with that wine colored hair of his falling in long strands over his face, his eyes in a deep maroon shade, full of life and anger, his teeth fiercely snapped into a growl, muscles wiring under a startlingly smooth and pale skin for a guy. Every person in the crowd showed interest in him for what reason one could only have a guess, but Haruka was not taken in by the physical beauty, in fact he wasn't even registering it. All he could think was the fact that this man reminded him of something and he needed to have him by his side until he could name what that thing was.

“Buy him, Makoto.” Haruka whispered, covering his face with his turban, clenching his fist.

“Eh?” Makoto looked at his friend as if he was seeing him for the first time. “We don't need more men, Haru.”

“Buy him.”

That cut the argument into a finality. Makoto nodded and joined into the auction. “Twenty-five!” He shouted, upping the gold pieces by two.

Within a few seconds, the bid arose to thirty seven pieces. Numbers were flying over the crowd, the slave visibly shaking in ire or in shame, they didn't know what.

“Forty!” Makoto yelled, some people turned and looked at him, some drawing back.

“Fifty!” Came a thin voice, belonging to a tall and a very rich looking lady, winking towards Makoto and making the crowd go _wow_.

“Fifty-five.” The green eyed youth upped his bid.

“Sixty-five!” A young man, possibly a Bey like Haruka joined in and the tall lady immediately quipped, “Seventy!”

Now even the slave was looking on at the competition in confusion.

“Give a hundred.” Haruka whispered and Makoto hesitated for a bit, turning to his friend. But Haruka's attention was totally captivated by the slave. Makoto searched his friend's face and in that instant he saw something there, and finding it reason enough, he nodded his head as if to himself.

“Seventy, then!” The auctioneer reminded.

“A hundred!” He determinately uttered and noises of disbelief and excitement erupted from the crowd. Everyone, even the slave, turned and looked at him, rightfully thinking that he had to be a very rich Bey.

“Anyone else?” The auctioneer asked, “Anyone else?” But no one dared. “Sold!” He declared and the slave was pulled to his feet, dragged towards them with his documents by his handler's side.

Makoto and Haruka were welcomed closer to the tent and the green eyed youth procured Haruka's stamp together with a coin pouch, handing the money to Haruka. He signed and filled the documents in Haruka's name and Haruka counted the pieces onto the small table before the slave trader. Makoto pocketed his documents and Haruka got hold of the red haired slave's chains, tugging him to his side.

One had to see the trader's face; that old man turning so alive as he recounted his money among the safety of his bodyguards. Haruka felt disgusted and tugged the slave further towards himself, but the other was not even looking at him. The red haired youth's eyes were trained on the silver haired boy who was being brought to the platform by two guards like a limp rag doll.

The slave was biting his lip to the point of bleeding it. “Ai...” He was trembling as if he was ready to bolt. “Please...” And when the auction started at a low price, the slave turned to them and tried to reason with Makoto, thinking that the green eyed man was his master.

“Beyim, that's my friend. He is wounded.” He started, making Haruka blink owlishly at him. Makoto was surprised, too, but he quickly regained himself and was about to correct the slave when he saw Haruka shake his head.

“These people will either work him to death or torment him in other ways, please buy him, please.” The slave had such a compelling voice and eyes that Makoto was easily swayed, but he was no fool.

“What makes you think that I won't do the same if I buy him?” He asked, looking into the other's maroon eyes, not seeing anything but truth and straightforwardness there.

“You have kinder eyes than that, Beyim.” The slave said with conviction and knelt before the green eyed man, totally ignoring Haruka and causing him to raise an eyebrow at that.

“I am a healer, he is a groom. We can take good care of your men and animals. I beg of you, he'll slowly die if he's not treated soon, please, he's the only friend I have left!”

The young man was in such desperation that Makoto shared a subtle look with his friend and upon Haruka's approval, he shouted, “Twenty-one!” The relief that shone upon the face of the young man was a sight to behold and Haruka couldn't tear his eyes away from it.

Luckily, the bidding for the silver haired slave stopped at twenty-six pieces and he was brought to them immediately.

While Makoto was going through the formalities, Haruka was standing beside the two slaves, watching how the red haired one talked the slighter guy into wakefulness like a big brother would do. For some reason the thinner and shorter slave started to apologize with tears in his eyes as soon as he realized the situation that they were in but a few gently whispered words made him stop and get serious in a bitter and sad way. Haruka just observed.

“Hey, do you have some water?” The red haired slave asked, looking at him directly for the first time. Startled, Haruka just stood there, silently looking back at those shimmering eyes.

The slave cocked his head, confused. “Some water?” He tried for a second time and getting no answer, a very small, derisive smile appeared on that face and the youth talked again. “I know we must be quite a sight for you right now but, I really need some water.”

That smile did _something_ to Haruka and he didn't like it, refusing to acknowledge the feeling. He turned his face away, reaching to his small flask and threw it to the other. The slave got it, helping his friend sip from it slowly. And then he took a few sips, too.

“What is your name?” Haruka asked, surprising himself with his own curiosity, too.

It was as if the slave thought for a second before answering. “I am Rin.” He handed the flask back. “He is Aiichiro.”

“Don't you have family names?”

The other youth's eyes hardened at that. “Is there any need for that when you are a slave?” It wasn't a question.

“But your documents say that your names are Jiro and Kaede.” It was Makoto speaking. Now hearing that angered Rin visibly, but he desisted.

“That's because those documents are fake, Beyim.”

Haruka narrowed down his eyes at that. “Fake or not, we bought you.” He drew the line, tugging at the chain and causing Rin to look up at him. The red haired youth resented those words, Haruka could see it but they were the truth. “Now get up and help your friend.” He muttered. He was aware of the angle of the shadows and the way he stood was making him a sinister figure not to trifle with. His lower face was covered, too, and he looked terrifying like that. But the red haired youth, Rin, could have never seemed to be intimidated less. He stood up and even though he had been beaten harshly earlier, he let his friend lean on him, carrying nearly all of his weight.

Haruka saw Makoto draw his eyebrows together in sympathy for the slaves, but he said nothing, his blue eyes showed nothing. He purposefully made Makoto take the lead, walking before them. He stayed behind a step with Rin and Aiichiro, quietly watching the contemplating look on the red haired youth's face.

He was trying to find the name of that feeling Rin caused within him as they walked towards their inn, but nothing came to him. Even as he puzzled over it in every step they took, it eluded him like a capricious lover did.

_TBC…_

* * *

**Kilij** is a type of one-handed, single edged and moderately curved saber/sword.

 **Pala** is a shorter and sometimes wider kind of kilij.

 **Arank** is a water spirit in Ancient Turkic mythology. They are believed to be the guardians of any size of water bodies, springs, brooks, rivers and lakes. They don't have definite physical forms. They are pure and innocent in nature and not malicious.

 **Shalvar** is a type of unisex comfortable loose trousers, tighter in the ankle area, sewn and worn in many different styles and forms. (Haruka's black trousers in the ED)

 **Bisht** is a popular Arabic men's cloak made from luxurious flowing fabric, generally worn as a symbol of prestige.

 **Kaftan** is a front buttoned coat or overdress, usually knee or ankle length with long sleeves and maybe worn with a sash.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Not much was uttered during the walk.

Rin carried Aiichiro as best as he could, trying not to inflict more pain to the poor boy’s side. And he used the time to think.

The green eyed Bey, whose name he was yet to learn, was taller than all of them, muscled in a lean way as if he himself was a worker, too. He had brown hair with a greenish hue to it, shining like the sea weed Rin had seen when he used to swim in the sea. He was a good looking man and if Rin was a good judge of people’s character, he bet on that the tall man was not a cruel person. But that idea didn’t negate the feeling of worry that grew in Rin’s stomach.

The Bey had paid a great sum of money to get him. Rin wondered who’d pay that much gold just to get a common worker or a personal servant. He feared that the Bey was going to use him for things that Rin would never suffer through as long as he breathed. Even though the Bey was gentle and handsome, for Rin, that was the basest of the things one would ever fall down to. What was worse than a common slave was a slave who was bought and kept for pleasure as if he was not a sentient being.

How much more twisted could this world get, Rin wondered, feeling sicker by the second with the cruelty of the reality. At least, he wasn’t separated from Aiichiro. Even though the younger youth was technically his bodyguard, he was more than that, he was his friend. Nevertheless, the Bey was merciful enough to buy him, too, even though Aiichiro probably looked weak and of little to no use to him. Rin knew how wrong that notion was.

Putting that aside, the Bey’s servant was not someone ordinary, either. He seemed like a mercenary for hire. The man was stoic, silent, and deadly. Rin could tell that the other was a great warrior; you could smell something primordial on him. They were nearly the same height but the other looked much more flexible, no wonder because of many conflicts and fights he had probably seen. He had a healthy tan and was comfortable with his near half nakedness. That thick kilij he was carrying needed some good muscle work to be of use and Rin wondered who’d win if they’d fight.

But there was something that bothered Rin more, and that was the young man’s eyes. They were trained firmly on him and Rin hated being watched. He tried to rein in his annoyance, to not draw the attention of the Bey walking in front of them but it was futile. The other had an unblinking gaze, full of wonder, shimmering in a nearly unearthly way. Such infuriatingly blue eyes, like the depths of the sea; and he was watching him with the curiosity of a child as if Rin was an upturned insect, struggling.

“What?” Rin hissed, totally mystified by the interest shown to him. Was he that much of a sight?

The servant’s eyes widened for a second and he quickly turned his head away, murmuring. “Nothing…”

Rin barely kept himself from clicking his tongue in annoyance. He adjusted Aiichiro on his shoulder and walked along. The constant watch was not the only thing bothering him. Rin doubted himself for it but somehow the other youth seemed to exude warmth. It was a crazy thought, he knew but, Rin felt warmer than usual as they walked side by side this closely. It was as if the sun was favoring the other, shining down on him in such a way to complement his imposing figure, catching him in such angles that made him look, dare he say, more elegant and regal than he already was.

Such absurdity! Rin would have laughed at it, had he been alone. Favored by the sun? On a desert? The man had some rotten luck, really.

* * *

“Here we are.” Makoto announced, relieved to have reached the storehouse. The guard sitting on the perch built on the walls of the estate announced their return and the great doors opened from the inside. As soon as they entered, two servant men approached and took the chains from Haruka’s hands. Makoto nodded them to chain the slaves to the nearest pillar under the shade. He procured the documents from under his khalat and handed them to Haruka who inspected them with a critical eye.

“They are fake, aren’t they?” Makoto whispered, fanning himself with his hand.

“Of course they are.” Haruka agreed. “When have you ever seen a slave that was really captured in a war or skirmish? Their homeland immediately buys them back not lets them rot in captivity.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow at that. “What are you going to do with them, then?” He was truly curious.

“Nothing.” Haruka answered, his eyes narrowing down in annoyance after nearing the fountain and seeing it emptied again.

Makoto sheepishly smiled at his friend’s predictable reaction but was surprised by his nonchalance. “I mean, what will they be? Will they carry things? Be stablemen, personal servants, cook or cleaners, what?”

Haruka seemed to think for a bit, unceremoniously flopping down on a chair under the building’s shade and taking off his turban. “That red haired one…”

“Rin.”

“Yes, Rin said he is a healer and that… Aiichiro… Is a groom. Let them do their job whenever necessary. But Rin could help around, too. He looks strong enough to work. Just let them rest for now. That guy needs to heal.”

Makoto nodded at that, sitting next to Haruka and undoing his own turban, too. Was it his imagination or today was a bit less scorching than usual? A girl came to them and served them some sherbet and Makoto motioned her to give something to the slaves, too.

They sat there in silence for some time, watching the girl give the other youths some water and some food. It was touching to see Rin feeding his friend first even though he had to be equally thirsty and hungry.

“Why did you buy them, Haru?” Makoto turned to his friend. Haruka’s eyes were fixated on the others and when he realized that Makoto was watching him, he turned around, his gaze landing on the empty fountain stubbornly.

After a while, he murmured. “I don’t know.”

“Shall I free them from their shackles?” They generally freed the slaves that they bought from their chains and as a custom of these lands, branded them on their hands with a tattoo.

“No. I don’t want to brand them.”

“But Rin is desperate to run away and he’ll try to escape again.”

“No. The shackles remain. Change them to something not rusty and more comfortable.”

Makoto’s eyebrows rose again. Branded slaves didn’t need to wear those and walked freely around because if they escaped they knew what would happen to them. They’d be brought back. Countless times… And Haruka was not a bad owner. He didn’t treat his servants differently from how he treated free men. All of his servants and slaves worked for him willingly. Not that he had many, but seventeen of his men, now including Rin and Ai were of this kind.

Makoto sighed, taking a sip from his drink. “You know, they think I am the Bey.” He snorted. “Maybe you should really consider changing your style a bit.”

“Let them think that way and warn the other men about it.” Haruka was seriously going to play along, which was a feat in and of itself.

“I’ll start to think that you are really bored and looking for some amusement, Haru.” Makoto couldn’t believe that his normally indifferent and apathetic childhood friend was going this far for a total stranger that he'd just met, or better phrased, he'd just bought.

Predictably, Haruka ignored the comment and diverted his friend’s attention immediately. “Makoto, I want to swim.”

And that made Makoto laugh fondly. “Okay, okay.”

* * *

Sitting quite a bit away from them, Rin was trying to listen in on the conversation as best as he could, but damn, he wasn’t able to understand anything. They were speaking softly and surprisingly the Bey was acting very familiarly with the dark haired servant.

Rin though if he made a miscalculation and if these two were actually business partners. Surely, the blue eyed one was too relaxed and too familiar around the other and the Bey treated him as if they were equals. But nobody told him nothing. He didn’t even know their names. They were chained down here like camels or horses and made wait. At least they were under a shade and a girl gave them some really nice thick soup with lots of meat and some root veggies in it. She returned with a skin of water and some bread. She even gave them spoons and earthen cups to drink. This was much more than he saw how other slaves were treated.

He helped Aiichiro eat and drink, then he made him lie down and get some rest but the other couldn’t stay still.

“Senpai, I failed you so terribly, I don’t deserve to live.” He wasn’t sobbing any more, there was grim determination on his face. “Just use me as bait and escape whenever you find an opening.”

Rin stopped eating, hushing the other. “Ai, for the last time, stop apologizing and stop being like this.”

The blue eyed youth looked up at him. “This is all on me; I can’t live with the shame. I don’t even deserve to call myself your guard.”

“You're not only my guard but also my friend.” Rin smiled encouragingly. Then he stopped thoughtfully. “Ai, if we are to get away, we’ll get away together. These people seem normal enough, they are merchants and by the looks of it they travel a lot. We’ll have lots of chances. Now the quicker you get better, the sooner we can get away. So we need to focus on how to survive this, not wallow about what we can’t change.”

Aiichiro bit on his lip, sweating profusely. His guilt ran deeper than Rin’s gentle words could reach, but he could see that by acting like this he was worrying the other. So, he needed to be stronger next time, stronger enough to not endanger their lives. “As you wish, Senpai...” He conceded and huffed, his breath laboring. “But I really need something to relieve the pain. That horse ride jostled me quite a bit.” He apologetically confessed.

Rin looked back at where the girl that helped them went and Haruka saw him searching. “Mei!” He called her and when she appeared, Haruka indicated towards Rin. He got up, too, and approached the slaves.

“He has fractured and broken ribs; he needs to rest as much as he could. Would you show us somewhere we might stay at?” Rin asked Haruka.

Mei looked scandalized for a moment but she kept silent as Haruka knelt and unhooked the chains. “Get up then.” He ordered. “Mei, go and open the room.” He threw her a set of keys, ignoring her bewildered eyes.

Rin didn’t see any of it as he was busy helping Aiichiro get up. They walked towards the main building block, the inside felt so much cooler than one would expect. They climbed some stairs after Mei and passed through a long corridor. Mei unlocked a room and Haruka tugged them in.

It was a very nicely decorated room; in fact, it was possibly the sleeping quarters of the Bey. Rin hesitated for a moment, thinking about the implications of being shown into this room. He cringed, panicking visibly.

Not understanding what the problem was, Haruka tugged the chains again but Rin didn’t move. “Enter.” He told the red haired male. But when the other continued to ignore him with the eyes of a trapped animal, he reached out and grabbed Rin’s free arm to direct him in.

What happened in that instant, Rin didn’t know, but his knee jerk reaction of shrugging the other’s hold off was negated by something. Something prevented him from resisting and a strange hotness climbed up his arm, numbing him. The dark haired servant dragged him and Aiichiro in and those few steps helped Rin to regain his bearing. He leaned away, forcing Aiichiro to step sideways and thus having the momentum carry him, too. Alarmed, he realized that his arm felt so powerless, so drained.

“Let me go!” He practically snarled and shrugged as best as he could, surprising everyone with his panic.

Aiichiro started to carry his own weight in case Rin needed him and Mei looked at them in horror; why, Rin couldn’t care less. And the dark haired servant turned towards him with a slightly baffled expression but didn’t immediately let him go.

Rin side stepped, finally freeing himself, unable to understand what had happened to him. His other hand immediately clasped over his arm. But mysteriously enough, his arm felt alright now, even though his skin tingled and felt burnt a bit from where he had been held.

Uncomprehending, Haruka looked at him; apparently waiting for an explanation. He did nothing to hurt the other, did he?

For a moment everyone stopped and looked at Rin, waiting for him to do something and Rin felt he had to say something to draw the attention elsewhere.

“Marigold oil!” He blurted the first thing that came to his mind, backing away further into the room. Aiichiro stood beside him; even though he was unsteady and tired as hell, his stance was subconsciously protective of Rin.

One of Haruka’s eyebrows rose. “Marigold…Oil…” He repeated, feeling somehow offended by the reaction of the other upon his touch.

“Yes, for the bruises!” Rin nodded vigorously. “Or maybe witch-hazel oil? Any of them would do.” He was still holding his arm, his eyes still panicked. “Some ginger and poppy capsules for the pain… Clean bandages… And I know it is too much to ask for but… Goat’s milk would do wonders for the bones.” Rin shut himself up before he babbled more.

Haruka let the other calm down from his unreasonable outburst. “Mei, bring in whatever they need.” He told the girl. “Give some bedding to them and lock them in.” He turned around and left the room, clearly annoyed.

Makoto saw him in the yard and with one look at his friend, he understood the problem. Seeing his brunette friend getting upset over someone should have made him angry, but Makoto couldn’t help smiling at the situation. It was endearing to watch Haruka trying to connect with people of his own accord. Something had to be special about Rin to cause such an urge in his friend, but Makoto didn’t know what that thing was.

Rin was alluringly beautiful for a guy, but he doubted that Haruka was after that. When the red haired slave had captured Haruka’s attention, they hadn’t even been able to see his face clearly. Yet, Rin’s motions were of liquid power, it had been mesmerizing to watch him storm the bazaar within a few seconds. He was trained as a warrior, Makoto could see that. No wonder the bidders in the market were so enthusiastic about getting him. But what his friend saw in Rin, Makoto didn’t have a guess.

What he knew was the fact that his friend was clearly put off now. He donned his turban over his head and handed Haruka his. It seemed like they had to bring their swimming plans of tonight a bit forward. “I think we need a good dip in the bathhouse.” He announced.

Haruka narrowed his eyes down. “You know I hate hot baths.”

“We’ll find a happy medium for us both, come.” Makoto insisted, lightly patting his friend’s back to get him into motion. He knew just what to say. “Maybe I can give a little gold to persuade the keeper to fill the outer pool for us.”

And as usual, that did the trick. Haruka’s eyes shone brightly. “Let’s ride, not walk.” He demanded, suddenly in a hurry.

“Get us some clean sets of clothes!” Makoto told the servants and they went to the stables at the other side of the storehouse to get the horses themselves.

Seeing the brunette’s suppressed enthusiasm, he knew that Haruka was going to swim until he turned into a prune.

* * *

Mei, who looked as if she wanted to bash in Rin’s skull the entire time, gave them everything they needed. She procured a thin mattress and some quilts for Aiichiro, and Rin quickly helped the other lie down. Staring a fire in the heart, she provided Rin with a pot to boil water, gave him fresh water, two cups and bandages. After locking them in and disappearing for an hour, she came back and gave Rin the oils and other herbs that he had asked for. And finally the door was shut on them for real.

Rin was making tea with some ginger and a bit of crushed poppy capsules, calmed down and at ease now that they were alone. He had massaged Aiichiro’s side with the oils and bandaged him with the clean gauze. The sun was slowly setting outside and Rin had checked to see where the single window of the room was looking to. Unfortunately, it was right above the guard post at the back of the house, over the stables.

“What happened there, Senpai?” Aiichiro asked, feeling relaxed for the first time in several days.

Rin steeped the herbs in a cup, crushing them with a wooden spoon to let the boiling water get the best out of them. He turned around and Aiichiro got up a bit, taking the cup from his hands.

“I don’t know.” Rin confessed, his face was troubled again. “His touch was numbing and burning. I felt helpless…” He trailed off for a moment, his eyes glassy. “It… It didn’t hurt much but… It was such an alien feeling, it disturbed me.”

Aiichiro listened carefully, blowing over the steam of the cup before he took a sip. “Numbing and burning…” He repeated. “Are you alright now?”

“The moment he let go, the feeling mostly disappeared.” Rin rubbed the back of his neck. “At first, I couldn’t even dislodge his hold. For a moment, even my feet moved on their own to where he pulled me to.” He sighed and shrugged. “There is something wrong with that guy.”

Aiichiro stopped drinking. “Like what?” He asked.

Rin thought back to how the brunette had watched him all the way back from the market. “He looks at me as if he knows me.”

“But we have never seen these people before.”

Rin nodded. “He is acting too familiar with the Bey. It is as if he owns the place.”

Aiichiro thought hard on it. “They could be partners. Though to be honest, he looks like a bandit.”

“We should take that into consideration. There is no need to alert them yet. We should stay as inconspicuous as possible, mingle and bid our time.”

They fell silent after that and Aiichiro slowly sipped and finished his tea, already feeling sleepy with the help of it. He lay down and despite himself, fell asleep quickly now that his pain was subsided a bit.

Rin continued sitting beside him before the fire. He surveyed the room, minding not to move much to avoid making noise with his chains. There was a very comfortable looking bed on the right side of the door, facing it, and the heart was on the left where there was a long divan under the window, covering the corner. It was decorated with puffy pillows and there was another door on the far side of the bed, smaller than the entrance. It was probably a bathroom. The rugs, the quilts, the furniture were all quality made and showed off the wealth that the Bey had. And here he was, a slave, in the Bey’s personal quarters… His stomach was flipping with the reminder.

He could settle for playing the role of a slave for someone to secure Aiichiro’s health and find a way to escape; but he’d either kill somebody or cause great destruction before he was made into a slave for pleasure. That option was terrifying him. He was vulnerable here with no weapon to protect himself or his friend. His hands and feet were shackled and the old rusty chains were actually heavy. He had never been in this much of a dire situation before. Yes, together with Sousuke or Aiichiro, he’d evaded quite a number of trouble in the past but not something in these proportions with a grim outcome like this. He abhorred the feeling but, he was truly helpless for now.

The night fell and there was a tense silence in the abode. As far as Rin could hear, not even a mouse stirred. He wondered if they were going be given dinner or something to stave their hunger off, but no one came. He got up and discovered that the smaller door actually led to a moderately sized bathroom. It even had soap, towels and scented oils, sponges. He grimaced at the marble interior. These people were really rich if they could afford this luxury in their houses. They had pipes to pump the water in here, he realized, turning on a brass faucet. It was bliss, to be able to relieve himself of days old grime, to be able to wash his hands and face. The water was warm but at least it was alive. He idly wondered how the Arank of the oasis was.

He returned, finding himself a comfortable spot to sit, leaning his back to a chair near the heart. The servant girl hadn’t given him any bedding or covers and he certainly didn’t want to take a quilt from the bed behind him. So he sat as close to the fire as possible to ward off the night chill. All of his sores and bruises were throbbing and the toll of the sleepless nights was over him. As he sat there, he watched the fire, thinking about his home. He tried to stay awake but eventually his beaten up body and tired mind won over his will and he fell asleep just like that, sitting besides the only source of light in the large room.

* * *

Haruka entered his room as quietly as possible. He was in a better mood now that Makoto kept his promise and had the keeper fill the pool for them with cool water. He swam to his heart’s content for hours and then got his dinner with a merchant from his country. When it was time to return, one of Makoto’s men came with a parcel and left it with his friend. Now that parcel was in his hand.

The room was quite dark, the fire was about to go out. He closed the door and stepped further into the room.

The silver haired boy was sleeping soundly towards the sitting area of the room and the red haired one, Rin, was sitting beside the fire, hugging himself with his naked arms, sleeping, too. Haruka felt strongly drawn to him, but finding the feeling annoying, he preferred approaching the heart.

The fire was dying; just an ember was flickering in the middle. He gently put a piece of chopped wood near it and whispered something, making the flame roar into life and swallow the wood completely. He fed the flames with more wood and watched it for a while, trying to not give in to his urge. But it was futile and he gave up.

Slowly, he went to where Rin was sleeping and crouched down before him. The other youth didn’t look comfortable in the least. His neck seemed to be painfully creaked and he looked cold.

He had long eye lashes, Haruka realized. Now that he looked at Rin for real, it was so easy to see how beautiful the other was. High cheekbones, pale skin, that red hair of his… It looked silky but Haruka desisted from learning if it really was. He looked on. Rin seemed quite strong; his long limbs were probably agile and tough. Haruka looked at his hands. He had tapering, long fingers, unblemished. It was strange for a guy of their age; being this pale, having such elegant hands as if he had never seen a war or never had to fend for himself. But Rin had said he was a healer. Those hands of his were certainly a healer’s hands. They were beautiful and reliable, as if they were made to give life.

It was an indefinable feeling that was arising in Haruka’s chest near this guy. He couldn’t name it, couldn’t find anything to liken it from his earlier experiences. Rin was like a magnet and Haruka didn’t know what was so gripping and alluring about him. All he knew was that he’d never let the other bidders buy him. And the way he felt about this fact disturbed Haruka.

The fire cracked and illuminated the red haired youth’s face in a different way, the flames adding a nice hue to that red hair. Haruka looked sideways towards the fire and another small crack was heard, causing the brunette’s eyes to narrow down. When he turned his eyes back to the sight before him, the shadows were all where they were meant to be but Rin stirred. He made a soft, throaty sound as he woke up, his chained hand going to his neck immediately as his maroon eyes opened sleepily. And he froze all over.

Rin forgot how to breathe. Sitting inches away from his face was that blue eyed servant, watching him with rapt attention, unmoving. He even forgot about the pain on his neck as his heartbeat picked up, his eyes widening, his body tensing like a bow, ready to sprint; to where, he did not know. Due to the cold and the shock, he shivered violently and that gouged a reaction from the other. A hand reached for him.

“You are cold…” The brunette was about to touch his face and Rin’s mind blanked with panic. All he knew was that he had to get away.

When the red head sprang to his feet and took a step back in a fluid movement unusual for a sleepy, chained down guy, Haruka was taken aback a bit, not expecting a reaction like this. He stood up, too, observing the other. Rin’s eyes were wide, they looked crimson with the warm illumination now and Haruka couldn’t look away from them. But Rin was frightened, it was apparent. For a single second, he looked at Aiichiro, who was now still asleep behind Haruka. There was momentary relief when the redhead realized that his friend was safe. He was still shivering but there was this grim determination in his eyes, too. Haruka took a step.

Rin backed away even though he knew that made him look weak, but he wanted to avoid the other’s touch at all costs. His chains jiggled and he thought that if push came to shove, he was going to hit the other with the chains on his hands. Aiichiro wouldn’t be of much help even if he hadn’t been practically drugged to sleep by Rin earlier. It was mostly a deliberate choice; because Rin didn’t want Aiichiro to see what might happen tonight when the Bey would eventually come back to sleep or to do _something else_. That reminded Rin something. What was a servant doing here this time of the night?

“What do you want?” Rin asked as he took a protective stance against the armed and sinister looking brunette. The other wasn’t wearing his turban, but his kilij was at his side and his eyes betrayed nothing.

“Nothing...” Haruka truthfully answered but he took another step towards Rin, this time a larger one.

“What are you even doing here?” Rin asked, backing away another step, knowing full well that he was being cornered towards the bed.

“I sleep here.”

“What?” _Isn’t he just a servant?_ Rin’s mind reeled.

“This is my room.” Haruka explained patiently, watching Rin panic more with the information.

 _How is this beautiful room given to someone like him?_ “Are you also a Bey?” Rin dreaded the answer. He thought he belonged to the taller male. If not, then what were Rin and Aiichiro doing here?

“Am I now?” Haruka was intrigued by the other’s confusion.

This evasive attitude was frustrating. Rin wondered if he was bought to be gifted to this man. What was he, the Bey’s partner? Friend? Who the hell these people were?

“Get out!” Rin stopped backing away, now furious. He felt really helpless and frustrated with his powerlessness.

“I said this is my room.”

“Get out before I gather the whole household here.” Not a very dignified option, but Rin was ready to scream and shout.

Haruka considered it. He’d hate to create a commotion this late into the night but this was his room and Rin was becoming really too much.

“Nobody dares to get me out of my own room.” And Haruka walked towards the other fast enough to frighten him and cause him to stumble back, his foot harshly hitting the furniture of the bed in his hurry.

Rin found himself sprawled on the velvet covers of the bed. His first instinct was to kick but the short chains of the shackles prevented it, he tried to get away but suddenly the brunette was onto him, firmly gripping his wrists, pinning them on his each side. It felt as if his heart was a few beats away from bursting out of his chest when those hands touched him again. He couldn’t even scream.

Really... Haruka hadn’t gone for Rin, this was not his intention. He simply had thought that this was enough for one night and he had wanted to sleep. He was just about to take one of the covers on the bed and give it to him. But as soon as Rin had tried to get away just like this afternoon, Haruka completely fell to a baser instinct he didn’t recognize. He had simply chased the other when he tried to escape. In the blink of an eye, one of his knees was on the bed. He was leaning on Rin, who was looking up at him with shocked eyes, pupils blown impossibly and darker than the deepest oceans. Rin was trembling. There were tremors on the arms that he captured. Without thinking, Haruka leaned in, making the redhead gasp and struggle, turning his face away on impulse, baring his neck unwittingly. _Oh…_ Rin smelled wonderful; like fresh waters did, like running rivers did. The skin under his hands was smooth like quicksilver, cool as if washed just now. Haruka had never seen someone like this before.

“Get off me!” Rin snarled. Surprisingly, this time the other’s touch did not burn much. Sure, it was still somewhat numbing but Rin was mostly in control of himself and he struggled. He twisted in the brunette’s hold harshly and managed to free one of his hands and landed two strong blows with his chains on his shoulder. The brunette recoiled a bit but stubbornly didn’t let go. Rin’s head swam with the proximity and the intimacy of their situation, flushing despite himself, but he tried his best to push his knee between them and propelled himself backwards on the bed, getting away from the other a bit.

Haruka grimaced upon the pain. Rin certainly had something irresistible about him but he was also a handful. Holding the other’s chains firmly, Haruka pulled the still resisting redhead towards himself, up, getting the other into a sitting position with some real effort.

Contrary to what Rin had expected, he was pulled up. He stopped struggling for a moment in the other’s grasp, astonished a bit. The brunette was looking at him with boredom, annoyance, exasperation and something he couldn’t name, all mixed together in those blue eyes of his.

“You sleep on the floor. This is my bed.” Haruka said calmly, watching how comically the red haired youth’s eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise. “I wasn’t trying to attack you. I was going to get you a cover.” And he reached back, inadvertently getting closer than before to the other, enough to take another whiff of his neck and hair, and pulled back a velvet quilt, covering Rin who was shocked into stillness.

Rin couldn’t believe how he was played for a fool. The brunette made it seem as if he was going to assault him, how could he not have felt intimidated by it… And he had the audacity to look completely unaffected and innocent, this bastard! “What do you take me for, a fool?” He practically growled, holding onto the velvet cloth as if he took power from it. “You have some sense of humor! Is it fun to disturb the slaves and then watch them get terrified?” They were still close, the brunette leaning on him a bit, but this time the proximity didn’t frighten Rin.

The accusation made Haruka’s eyes widen and he leaned back a bit as if recoiling from Rin’s ire. “That was not my intention.” He answered truthfully, remembering Makoto’s words in the bath house. _They must be really frightened now that their lives are overturned. You must tolerate their viciousness and hostility._ But he had forgotten about it all when Rin had treated him like he was some savage. He didn’t think there was something wrong with how he’d acted, but apparently there was. Yet since he had paid the price by letting the other hit his shoulder twice, he thought that they were even. “Nevertheless, you sleep here. I sleep here.” He pointed to the ground and then to the bed.

Mad at the brunette’s nonchalance, Rin harshly pushed the other to the left and shakily got up, going beside where Aiichiro was sleeping. He sat down, facing the bed. After what happened, he didn’t want to risk feeling more vulnerable than he already was by turning his back to him. He burrowed further into the velvet quilt and looked up. But as soon as he looked, he averted his eyes to the burning fire in the heart. The brunette was undressing.

Haruka, completely not self conscious, stripped from his dark gray shirt and shalvar, standing in the room only in his underwear. He drew back the quilts and got on the bed, ready to sleep before he turned back to see what Rin was doing.

The red haired youth was sitting towards him, covered with dark red velvet, long legs drawn back, feet bare. He was watching the fire, a pout on his lips, his cheeks were a bit flushed for some reason that Haruka didn’t know.

“Don’t sit near the fire.” He warned, drawing the redhead’s attention. He eyed the heart and the light dimmed a bit. Rin didn’t answer. Silently, as if just for the sake of irritating Haruka, he bodily turned towards the heart and averted his eyes. And the fire seemed to brighten again in appreciation. Now that wouldn’t do. The fire was dangerous and it was attracted to Rin even though the red haired one wasn’t aware of it. Haruka whispered something harsh under his breath and the flames were back to how they were supposed to be again.

“Do you need a pillow?” He asked, unconsciously trying to gouge a reaction from Rin, but Rin was stubborn and very good at ignoring him. Against his better judgment, he couldn’t help throwing a soft pillow to the redhead’s general direction. “Sleep.” He ordered, exasperated. “Nothing bad will befall on you, so sleep.” Then he turned around and stuck his kilij beside himself where he could easily draw it, and closed his eyes.

Rin knew that men of this type had feather light sleep. They would wake up with the slightest of movements and the faintest of sounds. For a moment, he childishly considered to bother the other by shifting around and making noise. But then he shrugged. He wanted to sleep, too. He was so tired and exhausted. There were faint tremors on his entire body due to the fright of a few moments ago and he loathed the feeling, gnashing his teeth. But there was nothing he could do about it other than squashing the emotion and burying it until he would be calmer enough to find a solution for it.

The pillow that the brunette threw him looked quite comfortable and he reached for it, hugging it under his head and in his arms. He lay down beside his friend, facing the bed again, alert for any movement. But as he tried to keep himself awake by thinking of his homeland, sweet sleep claimed him, the fire in the heart growing smaller and colder as soon as he fell asleep.

Haruka listened for the redhead’s breathing even out and only then he allowed himself some rest.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up to the sound of Rin stirring. Erasing the drowsiness from his mind quickly, he laid there, listening the soft sounds that Rin made as he woke Aiichiro up. Then the small door made its distinct creaky sound and Haruka realized that Rin had to have discovered the adjoining bathroom some time last night when he wasn't there.

After a while he got up, too, startling Rin and Aiichiro. The latter was propped against a cushion as Rin washed the wounded side of his friend with a washcloth that he soaked and wrung in a small bucket of water that he'd taken from the bathroom.

Rin stilled in his ministrations and looked up at him as if he was trying to guess what Haruka was going to say. But Haruka didn’t say anything. His eyes landed on the small package that he’d left beside his bed last night, considering if he should open and use it, but he deemed that it was not the time yet.

He left the bed, taking his kilij with him and disappeared in to the bathroom. When he returned, he realized that both Rin and Aiichiro were following him with their eyes warily, as if they wanted to tell him something but desisted. Especially Rin was stealing glances at him and Haruka wanted to learn what the other had to say. “What is it, Rin?” He asked, wearing his shalvar and starting to don his belts and sashes.

Rin seemed startled with his question and for a second his eyes strayed to his shoulder. _Ah, that…_ Haruka looked at it, too. There was a remarkable bruise on half of his left collarbone and on top of his shoulder. It smarted a lot even when he didn’t move his arm but Haruka was used to this type of injuries. He turned back at the curious and somewhat guilty eyes that regarded him.

“I can heal it. It looks painful.” Rin offered bitterly, bellying his reluctance. He really wanted to bite his tongue off as soon as he uttered the words but damn, the bruise was so blue and purple with some hemorrhaged blood right under the skin where the crudely made chains had to have bitten into.

Normally, for what the brunette had done last night, unknowingly or not, Rin would have deemed that the bruise was proper retaliation and punishment. But the other young man was wincing subtly every time he moved his arm. Rin hated watching people suffer with illnesses and pain even though he sometimes thought that they deserved it. It was against his principles to leave people in misery and Rin especially loathed it when he was the one who caused that misery. Though, the aloof brunette seemed to handle the pain quite well.

“It doesn’t bother me much.” Haruka said, but then thought that he could test the ability of the healer for himself. “But if you want to…” He added, appearing relatively nonchalant about the matter.

Rin secretly gritted his sharp teeth upon the way the brunette acted dismissive, yet he stood by his decision even though it meant that he had to touch the other youth. Truth be told, he was curious about it now. He wanted to see for himself what would happen if he touched the raven haired youth on his own volition.

Haruka set his golden belt aside, sat down and waited for Rin to come over to him.

Rin dropped the washcloth into the bucket, helping Aiichiro cover himself with his dark blue shirt. Feeling the ever watchful eyes of his friend on himself and strangely reassured by it, even though Aiichiro probably wouldn’t be of any help if something happened, Rin got up and approached the other. He hesitated a bit about if he should stand or sit down next to the brunette, but since standing looked awkward, he sat down and examined the bruise that he had made last night.

He had really done a number on the collar bone there. It was swollen and blood was coagulated under the skin deep inside. Dipping his fingers into the oil jar, Rin started murmuring something under his breath as if he was chanting a spell. The oil warmed on his hand and he gently and a bit fearfully touched the other’s damaged skin with his finger tips. The brunette’s skin was hot again, but not unbearably so. Rin marveled at it, wondering how someone like this could be possible, having such high body temperature, scorching anyone who he touched, but remained as cool as sharpened metal on the outside. Warmth was flowing to him but Rin ignored it in favor of discerning if his hand was going to get numb again. Now there was only a faint tingling and encouraged by it, Rin started to use his whole hand, massaging the area with his palm as he continued to say his healing words.

Haruka watched the other in a daze, totally forgetting about the other occupant of the room who was observing them carefully. The red haired slave had such a wondrous touch. His hand was so soft, gentle and cool. Something was flowing from those long fingers and palm to him; relaxing, rejuvenating, mending the damage in such an intimate and innocent way that Haruka involuntarily and unknowingly inched closer to him. His mouth was slack; his eyebrows were high in absolute awe.

Not only his shoulder, his whole arm and the left side of his chest felt revitalized, cool and light like submerged in cold water, soothed with every brush of that palm, every whisper of those fingers on his skin. “You really are a healer.” He found himself talking. “Your touch gives life.”

Rin looked up from his work and was surprised a bit to find the brunette’s face closer to him. A nervous half smile appeared on his face at the amazed look the other youth had. Rin had heard those words a lot, so many times before. “I am not giving life.” He clarified, even though he was partially able to do it, but the brunette didn’t need to know that. “I am simply utilizing it, reshaping it, helping it find a quicker way.” The eyes before him widened a bit and the sun shone in them in a becoming way, blue swirling in so many different hues in those irises. Rin liked his reaction after seeing that apathetic expression on that face for so long.

“How do you do that?” Haruka wanted to learn, wanted to have this sensation that spread on his skin forever.

As if Rin would tell him that in a million years… But he enjoyed the fact that he had impressed the brunette. “Trade secret.” Creating the illusion that there was more to it to keep the other on tip toes, Rin dipped his fingers in a bit more oil. Of course there was more to it but, Rin would never say it out loud, especially before a stranger like this.

That reminded him something. “Do you have a name?”

Haruka, not getting an answer to his question, considered antagonizing the redhead for being able to grab his attention so easily and firmly.

“You called me by my name, so what is yours?” Rin demanded again, looking back at his work. He felt relieved to see that some of the red and blue had already faded from the shoulder.

“Haruka.” The answer came, sounding clearly reluctant. But that didn’t deter Rin. He continued with his questions. “Are you a servant?” He didn’t think so anymore after the last night.

Haruka frowned a bit, peeved by the idea of being considered someone’s slave. “I am free.” He was aware that he was the text book example of how a bandit looked and acted, but he was no servant, he was free.

Rin quickly caught the emotion and saw how the other regressed back to his earlier cold countenance. Seeing that both saddened him and caused him to resent his situation. Because the raven haired male reminded him of their slavery and cemented the feeling of entrapment further.

“I was free, too, not more than a few days ago.” He bitterly talked and sharply regarded Haruka. No longer wanting to touch him anymore, he withdrew and stood up, now somehow as cold as Haruka had looked a few minutes ago. “So you are a Bey, too.”

“I work for Makoto. But I am free.” Haruka tried to elaborate without betraying much, feeling rejected again as soon as the redhead stopped his healing and returned back to his friend’s side. It reeled him and he felt even more riled at himself for letting Rin to cause this emotion in him.

“Makoto… Is the Bey’s name?” Rin crouched down near Aiichiro, exchanging a look with him.

Haruka nodded, now totally reluctant to answer. He got up, quickly put on his shirt and donned his golden belt, fixing his sword by his side. He covered his shoulders with a long cloth and took his turban with him, ready to go out and leave the two alone.

Rin didn’t like the way how Haruka acted tight lipped. He stood up again, stepping towards the door, blocking Haruka’s way. “Tell me who you are.”

“We are merchants, we travel.” Haruka answered in a clipped and annoyed tone.

“I can see that much. _Who are you?”_

Haruka narrowed his eyes down, staring at the red haired slave as Rin stood in his dirty white shirt and shalvar; graceful and full of pride and sure of himself when he was serious. He had a distinct kind of an imposing aura; different than Haruka’s untamed, wild, overbearing and detached countenance. Haruka was a fierce warrior but Rin was elegant, almost royal. Haruka knew it when he met someone of equal caliber.

“What do you mean, Rin?” He asked, even though he very much understood what Rin wanted to learn.

“Why did he buy us?”

“Ask that to Makoto.”

“Why did you let us use this room, feed us, let us rest? What do you want from us?”

Haruka honestly had no patience left, his shoulder smarting again. He already wanted the other’s touch back on his skin and it irritated him to no end. Yet he couldn’t look away from those eyes of Rin. Rin’s stance was firm, demanding and taut like a bow but Haruka couldn't care less, he was entrapped by those eyes again. All he could do was look.

But Haruka’s passive-aggressive behavior and his single minded gaze ticked Rin off, frustrating him greatly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. “Why don’t you answer me?” He practically shouted and just a few beats after his outburst, the door was opened hastily.

The one that entered was Makoto with a cautious but serene expression on his face as if he was trying to instill calm with the way he held himself.

“Ah… You are all awake. Good morning.” He gave a once over to all of them but didn’t comment on the anger that steeped in Rin’s eyes or the nervous and disturbed look that Aiichiro had. Haruka immediately turned towards him, using the interruption as an opportunity and nodded his salutation. Makoto stepped inside and inconspicuously created room for Haruka to go if he so pleased. Haruka chose to leave silently; Rin was clearly agitated with barely suppressed anger.

Leaving the redhead alone to calm himself down, Makoto turned towards Aiichiro. The younger youth immediately schooled his features to something neutral and Makoto inwardly commended him for that. “Are you feeling better?” He asked, nodding towards his wounded side.

“Yes…” Aiichiro answered and then quickly corrected himself. “Yes, Beyim.”

“I am going to let you rest and get well until you’ll be fit enough to carry out your responsibilities. But Rin…” Makoto turned towards the other. “You’ll be helping us around after you get your share of breakfast. Aiichiro can stay and rest here.”

Rin nodded, playing with the rusty, crude chains on his hands in irritation.

“Ah… Didn’t Haru change those things?” Makoto asked and saw incomprehension on Rin’s face. He looked around to locate the package that the brunette had demanded from him yesterday. Finding it beside the bed on the ground, he considered whether to change them or not.

Then he shrugged. It was Haruka’s responsibility.

“Come Rin, follow me.” He led the way and the redhead silently came with him. He showed him around; where the kitchen was, where the other servants were, where everything he should know was located. Rin wordlessly took it all in and Makoto watched him as Mei prepared him breakfast for two. He really wondered what Haruka and Rin had been arguing about before he decided to come in and calm them down. But Rin was quite put off and even more cautious than yesterday. He let him go and eat with the silver haired slave after instructing him to come down because they had business to attend to within half an hour. Haruka had already gone there, he presumed, and Makoto hoped that going out might provide Rin some breather from his situation.

Rin went back to the room, his mood sour.

“Senpai, are you alright?” Aiichiro asked. “What did the Bey want?”

“I guess they need a few hands. I will be taken to somewhere else to help them for something, I don’t know what.” Rin’s eyebrows rose in surprise when he realized that they had been given a whole tumbler of goat’s milk as he had requested from Haruka yesterday. Narrowing his eyes down, he poured a generous helping to Aiichiro and drank quite a bit himself. He knew that he most probably wasn’t going to eat anything until the evening or the night, so he filled himself as much as he could.

“Drink that milk before it goes bad, okay? And eat as much as you can. We don’t know when they’ll give you something else to eat. If you feel yourself fine later, try to look around the room, see if you can find something useful for us.”

Aiichiro listened to his elder in growing nervousness. Rin was shouldering more than he should, always looking out for him even though that was Aiichiro’s job. It made him feel useless. “Don’t worry yourself with me, Senpai. I’ll do my best.” He reassured the other to ease his burden a bit and did as he was told obediently. He had to get better as soon as possible, so that they could do something about their captivity.

Rin nodded at the other, a determined look entering his eyes as he watched his friend eat dutifully and with purpose. If only they could find a way to use the oasis, he could cure Aiichiro in the blink of an eye, but he could never do that under the watchful eyes of their master.

Master… What a word for someone like him to utter, he silently gritted his teeth. But at least, the Bey did not seem interested in him in _tha_ _t way_ for now, which was a huge relief. Neither Aiichiro nor he was strangers to physical labor and Rin believed that as long as they diligently did their work, they’d be safe, they’d be inconspicuous. Or he hoped so…

It was time to go now. He bid Aiichiro farewell and came down to find the Bey. Makoto immediately looked up at him since his chains made quite the sound as Rin walked.

The green eyed man was holding a bunch of documents in his hands and he stood up, tucking the papers into his khalat. When Rin neared him, he gave him a folded long cloth. “Wrap this around your head, we’ll be under the sun today.” Then without waiting for an answer, he took the lead and the gates were opened for him and Rin.

Rin tried to wrap the turban to his head as best as he could, given that his hands were bound. He let the two ends of the turban down to create shade for his bare shoulders and he started to follow Makoto.

The Bey was not walking fast, apparently he didn’t want Rin to fall back because of the short chain binding his ankles. Rin was only a step behind him as they headed towards the bazaar.

“Don’t even think about escaping, Rin.” Makoto slightly turned back with a small smile on his lips, causing Rin to falter a bit and raise his eyebrows at him. “I am aware of how desperate you are, but…” He stopped talking for a second as if he considered his next words. “Escaping would prove useless because you’ll always be returned back to us. Sooner or later…”

Rin desisted from clicking his tongue loudly. He was aware that the Bey was a clever enough man to read people’s intentions. But there was no way he’d try to run away without a plan and without Aiichiro beside him. And that matter of being returned sooner or later… As long as a slave was not branded, Rin knew that he or she would have a chance.

Well… Actually, that didn’t matter, either. He could heal any injury; make disappear any blemish caused by worldly means. Erasing a tattoo was not a problem. The problem was how to get away, but there was going to be a time to think that, too.

Makoto was not expecting an answer to his warning, so he made do with observing the redhead from the corner of his eye. The other young man looked troubled, most probably contemplating what he had said a few minutes ago but Makoto really wondered what he and Haruka had been arguing about in the morning.

“Why were you so angry with Haruka this morning?” He asked, falling a little more behind to walk nearly side by side with the slave.

Rin really didn’t want to talk about the stone faced brunette now, but there was no use to antagonize the Bey. “He purposefully acts difficult.” That made the Bey laugh.

“Why do you think so?”

“I don’t know what his status is or what he is to you, Beyim, but last night he made a fool out of me and this morning he pretended that I don’t exist when I tried to ask him questions.”

That made Makoto perk up internally, but he stopped himself from commenting on it, knowing his friend too well and already expecting him to have done something that he’d be totally oblivious of its repercussions. Haruka’s actions and behavior were not shocking once you get used to them. But he could only guess what happened to Rin. He changed the subject.

“We are doing trade as you have guessed earlier. We have quite the large caravan, more than a hundred camels and twenty five horses that we change wherever we stop. As you can guess, we cover a large part of the northern side of the continent. We don’t spend too much time at one place.” Makoto explained. “We are about to start another journey soon and I want you to see all our men today.” Then he laughed a little. “Well, in fact, as many of them as you can.”

“How many are there? A little more than a hundred?” Rin asked, already guessing the answer because of the number of the animals.

“Yes.” Makoto commended. “A hundred and eight but not all of them come with the caravan.”

“I know how a caravan works, some of them are scouts, some travel ahead to arrange lodgings, some spy…”

“Say, Rin… Are you a soldier?” Makoto doubted any answer that he might get.

“I am a healer, Beyim.” Rin answered sourly.

Makoto’s gaze shifted among the people that they were passing by, neutral, but he was calculating. “That merchant insisted that you two were captured in a skirmish near the lands of Shalbatana where it bordered Belili in the south.”

“I know that you can tell what I am even without hearing those lies from that human trafficker, Bey. Please don’t make me repeat myself. I am a healer, Ai is a groom, and we were free men just a week ago. This transaction is illegal and you know it, too.” Rin was this close to snarling in anger. He was neither a child to be trifled with, nor was stupid.

Makoto kept his face free of any emotion that could show how he felt about the things Rin had said. He actually respected the other’s courage and wit. Of course both he and Haruka were aware that the transaction was null, it was only a matter of proving who you were for Rin but all of them knew that doing that was impossible, too. Rin was a slave and he’d better get used to the idea. But that didn’t mean that if it were him, he wouldn't let the two men go if they’d provided back Haruka's money that he bought them with. Yet, what would Haruka do if he would do that, Makoto didn’t know.

“I can see that you are an intelligent man.” Makoto said. “But remember your station.” He saw the need to remind the other to stay in line. “Then I believe we won’t have any problems.”

Rin bit his inner cheek to keep himself from shouting in frustration, tasting his own blood.

“And I expect you to show the same respect to Haruka, too. He is family to me. We work together.”

The information made Rin’s eyes go wide. “He is actually a Bey like you, then?”

Makoto’s eyebrow twitched a bit, remembering Haruka’s needless game. “Not a Bey, no.” He amended. “But a trusted and precious friend... Just like your Aiichiro...”

 _Ai is a Bey, too, not just a friend!_ Rin narrowed his eyes down, resisting the temptation to utter his mind. He calmed himself down and focused on his thoughts, looking around. Thankfully, Makoto was a man of reason, unlike his _precious friend_ , and it seemed that he actually meant to use his skills as a healer, nothing more. That certainly made things much more bearable.

For now, all he had to do was to endure. And he was a survivor if nothing else.

_TBC..._

* * *

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

They went to an inn, probably the biggest one in the city. It was made of stone and had so many doors and stairs that Rin stopped counting after a few dozens.

The structure consisted of intertwined yards, all of them with fountains in the middle, date palms decorating the corners to create some shade, halls surrounded with long pillars and archways which supported a second storey above them. Men lazed around in groups, sitting or lying on comfortable looking cushions or divans under the shadows that the building’s upper floor created. They were drinking and smoking hookahs, chatting about anything and everything.

Makoto and Rin approached one of the groups that huddled around an intricately made marble fountain. They were all drinking tea and making small talk, some of them loudly laughing, some of them conversing in hushed tones. And in the middle of them, sitting at the edge of the fountain was Haruka, gazing into the water with a deep longing in his eyes.

As soon as Makoto neared, the men gave him their salutation, some of them getting on their feet, some of them correcting their posture. Haruka remained where he was, barely acknowledging Makoto’s arrival with a nod, as if he was not interested in whatever was about to happen. Rin just observed them, finding the people’s interactions upon their arrival a little odd.

Makoto introduced him to the others and most of the men didn’t even look at him, not that Rin expected any different treatment. Here he was just a slave among many slaves, nothing more, nothing less. This was for the better actually. Makoto urged him towards the group, telling them why Rin was here. Rin neared to the fountain and as discreetly as he could, he touched the water that flowed in the three bowled marble fountain. Relieved to feel that the water was alive, he swished his fingers in it, loving the feeling. As Makoto talked, he silently mouthed words to the Arank of the oasis, hoping that this fountain took its water from the small lake, but the water was so little here. It only rippled, danced and swirled within his core, replenishing him, making him smile without being aware of it.

Haruka had seen it all, but remained silent.

When Rin deemed that Makoto finished his talk, he turned towards him. “Bey, I need paper, ink and a pen.” He demanded.

The green eyed youth looked at him with mild astonishment. “To make a record of their health status?” Makoto was quick to catch up.

“Yes, it would help me a lot in the future if I’d be able to keep an account of them.” Rin turned towards Haruka and saw him surprised. The reaction riled him for some reason. “What? I can read and write!” He blurted. _In three languages!_ But he didn’t elaborate. 

After a beat of complete silence, some men started to laugh at his outburst, but he didn’t care, turning his face away.

“Mahir, bring him something leather bound, thick like a book. And some ink and pens.” To Rin’s surprise, it was Haruka speaking and his order was immediately executed as the said man quickly left the group to bring the things he asked for. 

“Someone will get you back when you are finished, Rin.” Makoto said and nodded towards Haruka. As the two made to leave the inn, all men stood up and saw them off. Rin’s eyebrows rose at the different treatment. There was something not right about these people but he couldn’t pinpoint what.

“Come here, young man!” An old man called to him. The others around him pushed him forward, towing him like a kid to sit on a chair near the old man. Rin awkwardly looked around and within a second, all attention was on him, all the faces were turned to him, sizing him up and down.

“Man, he is so young, just a boy!” Someone blurted, earning peals of laughter from everyone. “What? He is! He must be the same age as the Bey!”

“So you are the mad dog who created that mayhem yesterday? Youth is a good thing, mate!” Some more laughter followed and Rin’s eyebrow twitched. _Mad dog?_

“But you have landed in a fine place. The Bey is a good guy, though what goes in that head of his is mostly a mystery, bless him!” This time the stone yard boomed with laughter and Rin winced. 

When silence returned, the same old man talked again. “He really looks after us good.” He patted Rin’s shoulder and Rin silently considered whether these people were trying to make a point. But he let it slide.

“So, welcome lad. You are really lucky, because the food is plenty and the jugs are full! Life is good.” At that, Rin forced a smile on his face.

Within half an hour, Mahir returned with the things he’d asked for, procured him a portable table, another chair for his patients, some clean towels and fresh water in a metal basin to occasionally wash his hands.

Rin did a methodical and a highly organized work. He created logs for each man he had examined, entered their heights, weights, ages and illnesses of past and present.

Oh, how many different things he had found! It was like a circus parade of illnesses from ordinary ones like the louse, tapeworms, rotten teeth, muscle cramps, and migraine to more serious things like heart and river conditions, lung problems, rheumatism, infections of eyes and ears, eczema and gout… Heavy smoking and drinking aside, he even found two cases of malnutrition. _Food is plentiful and jugs are full? Yeah, whatever…_ There were two people who had recent wounds on their bodies, probably made by janbiya daggers but thankfully they had already been treated fine. Rin couldn’t decide if he should feel disturbed or not upon learning that the Bey’s caravan drew quite the attention with its size.

Rin examined forty-eight people and noted down everything that he deemed necessary for him. A part of him felt angry with himself for investing himself so much for these people whom he wanted to get away from as soon as possible, but another part of him felt at ease for having the chance of curing more patients. These people were mere workers; some of them were even slaves, so Rin didn’t have a bone to pick with them as long as they treated him well. Looking after them while he was among them was not different than finding patients as he wandered these lands.

Whilst he waited for the last page of his book to dry, he realized that all the men around him were gazing at him with reverence and awe, no longer laughing or trying to belittle the newbie that he was. Earlier, he had healed their minor complaints like aches and pains and other discomforts and that certainly earned their respect. He wished that he could do more but that that would deplete him since there was no way for him to swim somewhere and replenish himself any soon. He had to preserve his energy.

The men were a genial, merry bunch, probably had been working together for quite some time. They were comfortable around each other and it was evident that everyone was here because they wanted to be here. Makoto had to be a well loved master.

They brought him tea and sherbet as many times as he asked. Sometime during the examination, he was even able to eat sweet dried dates, plums, apricots and figs, the courtesy of his new admirers. They made it well into the night as Rin talked and the men listened. He tried to find out more about them but they were pretty tight lipped and evasive in their answers. Rin didn't mind much.

He tried to observe the slaves that he had found out among the workers. Earlier, he had counted seven men with a brand on their upper left hands, glaringly visible. The design was a curious one, resembling to a stylized sun, intricate and detailed. But in the end it was the mark of slavery. Then again, for some reason, Rin thought that he had seen it somewhere else. Not on a person to brand them as a slave, but somewhere… He couldn’t quite recall.

Then Haruka came and everyone whoever was left, stood up to him in salutation. Rin got up, too, just to not be the sore thumb among the lot. The brunette motioned for them to sit, joining them, someone immediately pouring him sherbet and offering him fresh fruit. Haruka didn’t touch them. He went and sat beside Rin, reaching for the open book like a single minded child.

Rin watched him read, turning page after page, and the wonder on that face increasing continually. He celebrated himself deep inside at provoking Haruka’s curiosity. Changing that expressionless face into anything other than that blank state was enjoyable for Rin.

“Your handwriting is like a woman’s.” 

But the feeling died immediately. _The hell?!_ Rin thought, t he feather pen that he had been playing with snapped into two as laughter boomed yet again. Highly offended, Rin couldn’t stop himself from angrily hissing. “In case you are partially blind, I am a man, not a woman!” 

The laughter immediately stopped at Rin’s words and the men grunted and tensed for some reason. But Haruka raised a hand and everything was normal again. “I meant that your writing is beautiful.” The face of the brunette was quite neutral, free of maliciousness or ill intend.

_Then say so, you jerk!_ Rin fumed internally, but didn’t say anything. How could this man be so callous and detached of what he’d said and done, Rin couldn’t fathom. 

“Come, we’ll turn back.” Haruka urged the redhead and waited for him to collect his book. “Keep the ink and pens, Yamaya. Tomorrow bring them here.” He ordered and Rin caught up with him, tucking the book under his sash.

Together they exited the building, retracing the path Rin had walked this morning with Makoto. There were less people around, streets were darker, the bazaar was quieter. Haruka was walking side by side with him, keeping a relatively slow pace. Rin absently gazed at the bazaar stands, all lit and eye catching as they slowly passed by them. There were many things from beautiful cloths to finely made kilij and jewelry. The sight of warm khalats made Rin shiver in the night chill. He was amazed how Haruka could manage with just a piece of cloth over those thin shirts of his. But the guy knew how to wrap it around himself and he looked warm. He touched his own bare arm and for some childish and stupid reason, the feel of his own cold hand on his skin made his eyes tear up. He felt desolate. He had fallen quite low, hadn’t he?

To dispel the throat clogging feeling, Rin started to play with his chains. This was turning into a nervous habit to cover his emotions. The chains were heavy; they chaffed his skin, made it bleed. There were bruises around the cuffs. He didn’t heal them. They were to remain. They were the proof of his captivity and he’d never heal them as if nothing was wrong with the world right now. The rusty and dirty chains would probably cause an infection in the near future, but he didn’t mind. He was used to pain, he could handle it. He grimaced at the torn skin that his fingers found under the edge of the crude metal.

“Are they heavy?” 

Rin was startled at the question a bit, turning his head to look at Haruka. The brunette had this honest look on his face again, apparently asking because he really wanted an answer.

“It matters not, does it?” Rin shrugged, letting his hands hang limply by his either side. 

“There are wounds…” Haruka observed; his blue eyes trained on the nearest hand that he could see. 

“What did you expect?” Rin flippantly asked, not wanting an answer. 

“Heal them, Rin.” 

That made Rin take a serious look at Haruka, his eyes screaming. _Why the hell do you care?_ Reigning in his ire, he decided to not grace that order with an answer and went on walking, trying to increase his pace. Surprisingly, Haruka didn’t say more about it. Rin could feel his gaze on himself and it was really unnerving how adamantly the guy could pursue something or someone he had probably found amusing. Rin wondered what was so interesting about him for the brunette to focus on his person this much.

“Do I know you from before?” He asked in irritation. 

Haruka raised an eyebrow as if questioning, _Why did you ask that?_ “I don’t think so.”

“You find me amusing, then...” Rin narrowed down his eyes and stood as menacing as he could for someone in shackles and chains. 

“Amusing? No, why would I think that?” Haruka was speaking in such a neutral way without any ulterior motives that it was frustrating Rin.

“Then why do you look at me so? I won’t try to escape if that’s your problem! Why are you always looking at me?”

Haruka’s eyes widened for a second as if he was just realizing what he had been doing since they had met. Then the brunette’s head whipped to the other side. “No reason…” He mumbled.

Rin confusedly observed the other, trying to understand him. If only the stoic guy talked a bit more, things would have been a lot easier. “Fine! Don’t talk!” He tried to gouge a reaction, but alas, the brunette was a stubborn one, he simply turned his face away further. Suddenly finding their situation hilarious, Rin suppressed a smirk upon the reaction. “I really wonder if you can utter more than two sentences at a time, Haruka.” He exasperatedly but good naturedly muttered to himself, facing the other side of the road, too.

He didn’t see how Haruka turned back to him with widened eyes, taking in his expression and then looking ahead with shimmers in his eyes.

A few minutes later, they were in the storehouse and Mei was dragging Rin towards the servant’s room to give him his dinner. Haruka stayed behind, going straight towards the fountain, happy to see that it was full of water and working. He seriously considered taking off his clothes there and then but Makoto’s voice alerted him.

“Haru, please… It is freezing.”

“Makoto, let's go swimming!” Haruka demanded like a child without even turning back to look at his friend. 

“Not now. For some reason, the nights are getting colder, aren’t they?” Makoto mused. He was reclining on a divan under the dark shade of the building with a hookah pipe in his hand. 

Haruka touched the flowing water and sighed. “Today was milder, too.”

“Yesterday was, too. Then I suppose, you are feeling good …” The green eyed young man blew some smoke towards the starry sky.

“When had my so called good mood ever turned the weather milder like this?”

Makoto gave a serious thought to the question. They had been together, roaming on these caravan roads since they were small kids, barely seeing their homelands once or twice a year. Truth be told, their travels mostly covered the arid lands, the parts of the Great Desert and rarely the coast line. They had never seen a winter in their entire lives, not even near the sea. Freezing colds were not uncommon in deserts at nights, but mild afternoons? He had even given Rin a turban earlier, thinking that it would be unbearably bright. All in all, today had been a sweet day and whatever had caused it, Makoto was thankful for it.

“So how was Rin’s work? Was he able to finish half of the men?” He asked to change the subject. 

Haruka sat on the edge of the marble fountain and gazed into the reflection of the sky on the water. “You should see the notes he took. The men are too trusting; they even had told him where they hail from.”

Makoto laughed at that. “He has a way with people, I guess.” He smoked some more. “We should have warned them. Though for him to know where our men come from is not something important or big.”

“Tell them to not disclose unnecessary information about us.”

Makoto couldn’t wrap his mind around the request.“Why the secrecy, Haru?” 

“Until we know more about them it should be like this. He is not ordinary.” The brunette answered. 

“You wouldn’t have made me buy him otherwise, I can see it.” Makoto smiled. “He is knowledgeable about how a caravan works; he is probably a good janbiya user. He can read and write which is quite uncommon among the ordinary folk. And he is a healer if we can count on his word.”

Haruka perked up at the last comment, a look of disbelief appeared on his face as if he couldn’t understand how his friend doubted Rin’s talent. “He  _is_ .” He insisted. “It is as if life flows from his hands…” 

Makoto’s eyebrows rose. “How do you know that, Haru?”

Haruka thought for a moment, considering if he should show his shoulder to Makoto and suffer the consequence of explaining its reason or not. Then he decided that his friend should know. He approached the divan, unwrapping the cloth from himself and sat beside his slightly shocked friend. He pulled down the large neckline of his shirt and showed Makoto his injury.

“He healed my shoulder this morning.”

Makoto looked at the still tender shoulder with a slackened jaw. “How the hell did you get this bruise in the first place?”

“Don’t get alarmed, but, Rin did it.” Haruka corrected his attire, stopping his friend’s motion to get up –probably to find Rin- with his hand. “He thought I was attacking him, so he hit me with his chains.”

Makoto sat back again, trying to digest the information. “And pray tell, what were you trying to do then?”

“I was trying to get a quilt for him from the bed, he panicked, fell on the bed and for some reason I followed and caught him, he panicked and hit me twice.”

_For some reason, eh..._ Now the look on Haruka’s face was someone whose good intentions were wasted cruelly; it was so apparent that he considered himself as the person who was wronged, but Makoto couldn't decide if he should laugh or feel sorry for his friend and Rin. He could only imagine what exactly Haruka had done to deserve the bruise even though he had already warned Haruka about Rin’s possibility of becoming violent if he would drop his guard around the redhead.

“And how is this considered healed?” He pointed to the other’s shoulder. “It looks quite painful.”

“It was worse.” Haruka played with the cloth in his hands. “But I guess I should have thought about how he’d perceive my actions.”

Makoto made a double take at his friend's words. It was quite the sight, actually. Haruka was an innately good person, without any malice or ill intend in him, but he generally did not bother to check his actions or behavior around people he barely knew. Yet here he was willing to reconsider his moves before he made them when it concerned Rin. And Rin had to be a real healer, indeed, to be willing enough to cure someone who had probably given him a real fright last night, even though he was the one who had inflicted the injury.

“Will you ask him to heal it again?” He ventured quietly, gazing sideways at Haruka.

The brunette nodded.

“Change those chains; they must have chaffed their hands and feet quite badly.”

Haruka nodded again.

“Is it a really a good idea to let them sleep in the same room with you?”

Haruka doubted it a little, but he trusted his skills. “I can manage three people at the same time, you know it.”

Conceding the argument with a huff, Makoto stopped asking questions, returning to his smoking. He considered calling in someone he could trust to observe Rin, but he doubted that it was a worthwhile idea. Maybe leaving things to unfold by themselves for the slaves was a better option for now. He had more immediate concerns.

“A letter came while you were out to get Rin. Our contact wants quite a large amount of silk to be taken to Dain. What do you think?”

“Haven’t we decided that our next stop would be somewhere with a coast line?”

“It is a nice offer and we happen to have the demanded amount stored here in Nefer.” Makoto explained. “Here is the letter. Please go through it so we can make a decision.”

Haruka looked completely put off by the news, but nevertheless he grudgingly accepted the neatly rolled up parchment. “I’ll give it a thought.” He motioned to get up, ready to turn in for the night.

“Haru, please be careful. Otherwise, I’ll have to insist for Rin’s removal from your room.” 

The warning was from a concerned friend who wished not to see his friend in pain but Haruka simply shrugged, knowing that Makoto was worrying too much.

He wasn’t that callous to cause another scene tonight. He’d meant no harm so, it had to be fine. He bid good night to Makoto and went up to his room only to find Rin in it, making tea for his friend. They had been talking but as soon as he entered, they stopped, not even looking at him. Haruka didn’t mind.

He threw away his turban, shawl and the letter on to the bed, directly going for the bathroom. He returned back with only a towel wrapped around his waist, wet, the other occupants of the room pointedly looking elsewhere. He didn’t know why. He rummaged through his chest by the bed and found some loose pants to get into. Not bothering to completely dry his hair, he put away the towel, too, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. He observed Rin as he massaged oil into the silver haired youth’s side.

“How does it feel?” He wondered if it felt the same for Aiichiro, too.

Said boy nervously looked up at him, considering. Rin didn’t even stop in what he was doing, mouthing things as his hands worked.

“It is healing… Sir.” Aiichiro answered cautiously, not completely understanding what Haruka was asking.

“I mean his massage...” Haruka tried to elaborate. “Does it feel like coolness flowing into you?”

“Eh?” Aiichiro flinched a bit, because that question made Rin react. 

“Everyone feels it differently.” Rin explained without turning back, but for some reason his body seemed to tense. “Some say that it feels hot, some says it tingles and aches in a good way, some say it feels like a breeze passing through and numbing them. But mostly it is a cool sensation, even cold.” _Because on these lands, most people have an essence of fire in their cores..._

“It feels pleasantly hot for me.” Aiichiro joined the conversation.

Haruka was listening to them with rapt attention. “How long does it take to mend a dagger wound?”

Rin raised an eyebrow at the question. He would never tell him that he could heal it within ten minutes if there was an alive water body to use around or if he was desperate enough. “It changes according to where the stab wound is. But around three weeks, I guess…”

“Cholera? Dysentery?”

Rin finished his massaging and started to bandage Aiichiro, sharing a meaningful look with his friend.

“Where does the curiosity come from? Are you planning to change professions?” He asked, mildly joking with a half smile.

“I have seen way too many people die from stab wounds or cholera and dysentery.” Haruka’s eyes looked cloudy when Rin turned around to look at him. 

“Your caravan must be targeted quite often, then.” Rin mused. “And those infections can be controlled and even avoided if people knew how to keep themselves and their environment clean.”

“You need water for that.” Haruka deadpanned. He thought that talking about this had to be easy and even trivial for a talented healer like Rin.

“I have seen many villages and towns with irrigation canals running through or around them. Yet the water is generally so dead that it spawned and spread all kinds of infections that you might not even know the names of.”

Haruka thought about that, about how visibly the subject upset Rin. Now the redhead had a furrow between his brows, scornfully looking at Haruka, but Haruka knew that his ire was not directed at him. “Where did you see it?” He already knew the answer. There weren’t many countries with irrigation canals.

“Does it matter? The whole continent is a dried up piece of misery thanks to us.”

“We didn’t create the desert, Rin.”

“Surely not... But we could do better with whatever water is left, couldn’t we?”

“Rin Senpai…” Aiichiro didn’t like where the argument was headed to, so he touched his elder’s shoulder as a simple reminder.

It worked. Rin’s unsettled countenance visibly melted into something wistful and sad. “Right… No reason to take it out on Haruka…” He muttered gently, turning around to pour Aiichiro some herbal tea.

His words made Haruka’s eyes widen again and he looked elsewhere quickly to hide his expression. But Aiichiro had seen it and understood what caused those shimmers to swim in those eyes. His Senpai had called the man with his given name and apparently the brunette marveled at it. For a moment, he considered to not drink the pain killer tea to keep awake and alert as long as his Senpai would need him. But Rin urged him to drink and it was neither time nor place to voice his worries to Rin.

“I want a massage, too.” Haruka demanded after a few minutes, his eyes still averted towards the fire in the heart.

Rin dried his hands on his shalvar and looked up at Haruka. There was a sliver of hesitation in his eyes as he eventually nodded. He took the oils with him and went to sit on the left side of the brunette. He feared that the other’s skin might burn and numb him again. Yesterday, there was a mild numbness but what would happen today, Rin couldn’t guess. For a second there, he wished he could pour water on the brunette to slake away some of the abnormal heat off of the other’s body, but here he wasn’t able to do it. He hesitantly dipped his fingers into the oil and took a deep breath to ready himself for the pain.

_Goodness_ , it really was hot this time, just as hot as when Haruka had first touched him. His fingertips tingled and immediately got numb, but he successfully shoved down the urge to flinch. He vaguely remembered another instance that he was burnt as he treated a patient but he couldn’t quite recall when and how.

The hot feel of the tanned skin might not have been totally unpleasant and painful if the heat in Haruka’s body did not have an invasive quality about it. It was as if it tried to overwhelm him; demanding, pervasive and unquenchable. Rin could feel that it dared to search him, as if guessing that this was not Rin’s true power but only the tip of a gigantic mountain that he preferred to show. It was unnerving, disturbing, consuming. And Rin didn’t understand why there was this temperature difference between different days. How did it rise or fall… How could this be even possible?

How could Haruka stand being in his own skin?

Involuntarily, even though he forced himself, Rin took his hand back, closing it quickly to hide his reddened fingers.

“Why did you stop?” Haruka knew there was something wrong with Rin. Even though admitting this irritated him greatly, he had been wishing for that touch the whole day and he wanted Rin to continue no matter what. He looked at the maroon eyes of the other imploringly, silently demanding him to go on.

_This man is dangerous._ Rin thought. The brunette’s eyes had the power to persuade someone to jump over a cliff. But he really didn’t want to experience the same pull again. It was mind numbing. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if he’d place his whole hand over the other’s skin without some aid.

“Senpai, are you okay?” Aiichiro asked this time, making Rin flinch a bit.

Rin turned towards his friend and his eyes had to have told the other something because Haruka could see how the silver haired boy’s air changed.

“I think, I need to compress it a bit.” Rin practically jumped onto his feet, going straight to the bathroom. Both Haruka and Aiichiro looked at where he disappeared to with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. When Rin returned, there was a small cloth in his hands and a basin full of water. He threw a reassuring look at Aiichiro and the other youth relaxed a bit, resisting sleep.

Wetting the cloth, Rin rubbed it gently over the bruise, making goose bumps appear on Haruka’s naked chest and shoulder. He averted his eyes from the sight and concentrated his attention on the bruise only, gritting his teeth a bit. His hand now wet, he returned back to his massage, this time using his whole hand, biting the inside of his cheek. He decided to apply more power to the area, mouthing words in a speedy manner. He frequently rinsed his hand in guise of rinsing the cloth and compressing the bruise with cold water, but in fact it had no use even though the water coming from the pipes was chilly at this late time of the night.

He repeated the action many times, unable to look at elsewhere on Haruka’s body, not even at his ever watchful eyes. Finally, when he finished, he gave a final rub with the other oil and quickly disappeared to the bathroom again.

_Gosh,_ his hand hurt! It hurt too much! The pain was reminiscent of some farfetched memory but he was hurting too much to even contemplate on it. He turned on the faucet and it helped him a bit. He concentrated and detached himself from the pain as quickly as he could, because he knew that the others were about to get suspicious. He focused on the burnt and for some strange reason, in his neutral state of mind; he likened it to a burnt you might get for trying to touch the sun. The fleeting thought was erased from his mind when his core essence took over for a single heart beat and Rin immediately drew his hand back, thankful that he didn’t cause a flood in the bathroom. 

His hand was healed perfectly.

When he returned, he went for Aiichiro and helped him to lie back on his bed, mouthing an “ _I’m alright.”_ for him to relax and stop evading sleep. A bit reassured, Aiichiro quickly fell asleep with the help of the herbal tea. Having nothing to busy himself with, Rin's gaze landed on his lap, inspecting the chains on his hands without actually seeing them. He didn’t want to turn around and face Haruka  again because he was aware how the other had to be watching him now. 

“Is your friend asleep?” The question made Rin shiver despite himself. He nodded; reaching for the pillow and the velvet quilt that Haruka had given him. He hoped that his action indicated his want of sleep and discourage Haruka from saying whatever he wanted to say. But he wasn’t a lucky guy.

“Then come here, Rin.” 

Now Rin really hoped Haruka was aware of how wrong that demand sounded. He turned around and found the other still sitting in the same position on the bed. 

“We can talk like this.” He offered, trying to look braver than he felt at the moment. 

Haruka realized how nervous the other was; his eyes were averted and his face was pale. Then he reconsidered his words and noticed how they sounded. “No, I mean no harm. Just come here.”

Rin evaluated his options. There was no way to turn and Haruka seemed as inconspicuous as ever. He shrugged and went to sit down on the bed again as Haruka motioned him to.

Haruka procured a nicely wrapped up parcel and set it aside. He shifted closer to Rin and grabbed at his chains, causing the redhead to flinch in panic but to Rin’s astonishment, the brunette procured an old key and began to unlock the heavy, rusty shackles. He threw the nasty things at the foot of the bed and took the washcloth Rin had used on him earlier. Mindful to not touch him much, he started to wipe at the broken and bruised skin, trying to remove the days old caked blood.

Rin was appalled, not even registering the pain. “What are you doing?” He asked in a small voice.

“I am returning the favor.” Haruka answered, looking at Rin’s shocked and saddened face. “They hurt, right? You were in pain when you treated me.”

Rin didn’t answer, feeling tears collecting in his eyes as he watched how carefully Haruka cleaned them. It was not done perfectly and wherever the brunette touched he felt burned, but it was a relief of sorts to feel his hands free of their burden. He knew it was foolish of him, but he felt touched at the gesture. Yet at the same time he was affronted for being not considered enough of a threat. Haruka had to be so full of himself to play down their situation. “I can attack you.” He was this close to whispering, as if sharing a secret.

“I can finish you before you even try.” But Haruka’s eyes and face were devoid of any ill intend, it was hard to feel offended. 

“You underestimate me.” Rin countered, searching the other’s face. 

“I never did so since the moment we met, Rin.” He wiped and poured water over the wounds some more, rinsing the bloodied cloth in the basin. “Heal them.”

It was lightning fast how Rin's soft and forlorn expression twisted into one of defiance. “I will not.”

“Why?”

Rin didn’t answer. He traced his broken skin with his finger tips and hoped against hope that Haruka would leave his hands like this. But his heart broke as soon as he saw what Haruka had in that neat parcel of his. Several sets of new, shiny, light weight shackles…

When he saw them, with all his might, with the very essence of his core, he wanted to crush this place to its smithereens. He wanted to destroy this place, leave Haruka in its shambles and run away instead of being chained down like this. The devastation that he was capable of would surely shorten his life after what happened would be found out and spread around, but at least he’d be free. He’d be hunted down again but until then, he’d be free.

He would do it, he really would, but he was not just his own person. He had the responsibility of so many on his shoulders, death was not an option for him. His frustration was so great that he didn’t even realize that he was crying as Haruka locked the new chains on him. He bowed his head at his own powerlessness and at Haruka’s cruelty, because the brunette had made it as if Rin was accepting his own captivity as he silently let Haruka reattach the shackles.

_Yeah, he is returning the favor…_

Haruka wasn’t aware of his tears. He got up to crouch down in front of him and unlocked his feet, too. He gently washed the wounds, his rare touches burning Rin and making him cry harder in silence at the ironical sight that they presented.

Here he was a slave, his wounds being cleaned by someone of higher status who was kneeling in front of him as if he was the servant. Being shown kindness only to be chained down again... He had seen many cruel things as he had traveled from land to land, but Rin never knew that stripping someone of their freedom was something to be made a mockery of gentleness out of it, that it would feel as brutal as this.

When Haruka finished and snapped the silvery metals on his ankles, Rin quickly got up and scrambled towards their side of the room, to lie down and pretend to sleep, to get away from the brunette. But Haruka caught his arm, causing panic to take his heart over, making him gasp both in fear and pain that spread from his arm. Impulsively, he looked up, seeing how the other’s blue eyes widened upon the horrible sight that he had to be presenting.

It angered Rin.

Haruka didn’t get to be surprised at the sight of his misery after being the cause of it! He viciously shrugged the other’s slackened hold and turned away again. “Stop this.” He hissed, his voice dripping with the mental agony that he was going through. “Let me be.”

After seeing those eyes, those tears, Haruka couldn’t move. He just stood there, watching Rin go to the other side of the room as he wiped at his face furiously and wrapped the velvet cloth around himself as if he was trying to get into a cocoon. Rin lied down, his back to him and Haruka took a shaky breath, finally free of the hold the redhead had gotten him into. He looked at the rusty metal pieces on the floor and then at the fire crackling in the heart. The flames mocked him, laughed at him and he just stood there at a loss of what to do.

What the hell had he done this time?

* * *

The next day, Haruka disappeared from the room after he changed Aiichiro's chains and nobody uttered a single word. The atmosphere in the room had been so tense that Aiichiro's senses tingled with the intensity.

“Senpai, did something happen while I was sleeping?” He correctly guessed.

Rin poured them milk and set the breakfast tray more towards Aiichiro, as if he wasn’t going to eat anything. “I am not going to give you that painkiller at nights, Ai, sorry.”

“Why? Wha-…” Aiichiro eyes narrowed down with murderous intend. “Did he do something to you?”

Despite his sour mood, Rin smiled gently at Aiichiro's protectiveness. “No… He couldn’t even if he wanted to. I am not some weak damsel, Ai, stop worrying.”

Aiichiro pushed the tray subtly towards his elders as if to urge him eat a bit. “Then why? Why do you look so sleepless?”

Rin played with the crumbs of his bread, thinking. How could one explain that sense of powerlessness and desolation? Especially when he knew that Aiichiro would blame himself more than he already did when he found out the reason.

“It is just that… You being awake might be a deterrent of sorts…” He mumbled.

“Deterring what exactly?” Aiichiro feared the answer because he was aware how the brunette had been looking at Rin since they had first met. Those eyes were full of admiration and maybe something more.

“He says stupid things and I get mad easily.” Rin explained, his eyes unable to meet his friend’s. “If you are awake, he might feel less inclined to talk and I'd feel less inclined to destroy the place and blow our cover.” 

Aiichiro really wanted to ask more but Rin's behavior booked for no further argument. He let the redhead eat in peace even though Rin ate less than a few mouthfuls. He decided that disturbing the other with things he clearly didn't want to talk about was useless. Instead, he was going to observe the brunette.

Rin ate as much as he could and wrapped the turban that Makoto gave him on his head, even though he knew that he didn't need it. His presence was slowly making itself known. One had to be really sensitive to actually realize this but, the days were getting milder and the nights were getting chillier. Though in a desert, the difference was so miniscule that he had to stay at least for a month for ordinary people to realize it.

He left his friend to his breakfast and went down only to meet with that guy Haruka had told him to bring the ink and the pens, Yamaya. He saw neither Haruka nor Makoto around and shrugged to himself, following the older man out.

When they arrived at the inn, Rin met quite a number of people again. There were guys from yesterday, too. As Rin worked, time flew by. He finished checking everyone present and then just sat there, listening to the people talk about this or that. Unfortunately, nobody talked about anything of use for him. They were just chatting and Rin didn't want to single himself out by asking questions about their master to them. So he sat there and waited for somebody to pick him up because he was quite hungry by now even after eating the fruits that the men gave him.

He didn't have to wait for long, Haruka himself sauntered to the inn, his face covered sinisterly and without much preamble, ordered him to follow him. Rin undid his turban and wrapped the cloth around himself like a shawl to ward off the chill of the night.

They walked in silence. Rin was aware that his silence was childish but he had nothing to say to the other. The brunette was walking nearly side by side with him and it seemed to Rin that he was exerting conscious effort to look straight ahead. It secretly amused Rin, but he pointedly distracted himself by watching the passers-by, the town's people and the bazaar stands and vendors. Everything seemed the same, only the people were different. He couldn't even guess how many caravans were entering and exiting the city gates daily. It would have been so easy to escape had he been alone. But that was not an option. He had to wait for Aiichiro to get better and this city already knew who they were and what they had done.

As he thought about how they could escape once there were no obstacles, he gazed distractedly at the stands of janbiya and kilij sellers. He was instinctively drawn to them as he was in need of weapons now, feeling more vulnerable than ever now that his beloved daggers were gone. He ventured towards the edge of the road, closer to the stands, without actually meaning to. In a slow pace, he walked along the stands, inspecting the used and new weapons, all glittering under the oil lamps hanging above them.

Then he stopped.

His twin daggers were resting side by side on a used weapons stand in their blood red scabbards, golden hilts of the daggers shining brightly under the soft light. For a second, Rin looked at them with a slackened jaw, one shackled hand reaching for them impulsively. And as soon as he touched the nearest one, his hand was whipped cruelly, breaking him from his trance. When he looked up at the seller, his face twisted with ire. The merchant was one of the traders who bought all the stolen goods from the bandits that had kidnapped them.

“You fucking leech!” He yelled, reaching for the daggers yet again and getting whipped for it all the same.

“I don't have anything to sell to the slaves! Go away!” The merchant yelled back.

“So selling people was not enough, you even sell their belongings, you pillager!” Rin made it as if he was going to jump over the stand and tackle the merchant but his arm was caught by Haruka, a burning sensation immediately making him wince.

Fed up with the situation that he was in, he shrugged Haruka's hold ferociously with a yell of “Let me go!” and immediately went for the merchant's throat, catching the guy from the front of his shirt, dragging him over his stand towards the road.

“Selling robbed goods is so profitable, huh? Better than grave robbing, at least! What have you done with all those things you robbed from those innocent people?” He demanded again only to be manhandled back by Haruka and someone else who was taller than him. It was Mahir and his hold was very strong. Incensed and utterly frustrated of being treated like the scum, Rin struggled more, screaming accusations at the seller. “This man works with bandits and kidnappers! Everything he sells is robbed from the people the bandits kidnapped! Those are mine, the blades have jagged edges on their outer sides! They are unique!”

“Rin, calm down!” Haruka shook him from his arm, hurting him more without knowing. “Creating a scene helps no one!”

Only to stop the pain, Rin tried to control himself. “He is working for those bandits. Can't you see the things he sells? Those things are what remain from people like me whom they enslaved or even killed! These people kill and sell their own, Haruka!” He spoke as calmly as he could but his voice was this short from actually shouting. Trying to get away from Haruka's touch by drawing his shoulder in, Rin stepped back towards Mahir to escape from the pain. But for some reason, Haruka's eyes narrowed down further upon his attempt, holding onto him more firmly, tugging Rin back to himself forcefully.

For the life of him, Rin couldn't understand why Haruka couldn't see how right he was but his touch hurt too much to bear in his agitation. “Unhand me.” Rin demanded, only for Haruka's ears, because the skin really smarted and started to pulse with a horrible sensation. Haruka suddenly seemed quite upset with him, but eventually he let him go. Rin covered his arm with his shawl, finally taking an easy breath, but he was still angry.

“Is that your slave?” The merchant asked Haruka with contempt, his whip at the ready in his hands. Two burly people came beside him, either his friends or his slaves.

“So what?” Haruka's souring mood was palpable as he turned and faced the merchant. Just then the city patrols came in, too, trying to disperse the curious onlookers who were observing the commotion that Rin created.

“Then keep a better eye on him, _Aga_!” He spat the honorific, aiming to rile Haruka up. “Chain down that vicious dog of yours better!”

“What did you say, you scum?!” Rin snarled and tried his hardest to shake off Mahir but another man came to Mahir's aid and he was practically hauled up from his feet after Haruka ordered them to take him back. Rin kicked and screamed, but eventually his voice died away.

Haruka turned towards the merchant, inspecting his smug face and considering.

“Is everything alright?” One of the patrols asked.

“Absolutely.” Haruka answered. “We were in the middle of a transaction just a few minutes ago.” The moment he finished his words, he drew one of the daggers, pretending to not hear the protests of the merchant and his men's grunts. He inspected the janbiya. It was quite an elegant one, actually fit for a prince. Its engraved hilt was made from a gold alloy, the hand guard was decorated with green stones and just as Rin had claimed, the outer edge of the blade had teeth like juts lined facing the hilt like a saw. It was really beautiful, fit for someone fierce like Rin.

“Name your price for these.” He challenged the merchant, pointing the blade towards him.

The calm look in his eyes made everyone stop for a second before the merchant started to laugh. “As if you could buy them, ha ha ha!”

“Then take this.” In the blink of an eye, as the merchant was still laughing, a pouch filled with gold pieces was stabbed on the earthen wall with Rin's dagger, just beside the merchant's head, shutting him up in fear.

The men immediately made it to attack Haruka but four men emerged from the crowd as if materializing from thin air, their daggers and kilij right under the necks of the merchant's men.

“Hey! Hey! What do you think you are doing! Hey!” The patrols surrounded them, too, making Haruka sigh in annoyance. He undid his turban, revealing his face. The patrols immediately drew away, looking apologetic. “Beyim, did they bother you?” One of them asked.

“No. He was just about to wrap those daggers for me.” Haruka nodded to the men and the patrol guards were gone, forcing the crowd of people to disperse, too.

The merchant did as he was told, wrapping the daggers in a velvet cloth in fear before he gave them to one of Haruka's men. Haruka came closer to the stand. When he talked, he spoke in a calm and hushed voice, the look in his eyes was colder than ice deserts. “You are a lucky guy to be able to still breathe after harming and demeaning something that belongs to me, _Aga_. But if I see you around the next day, I might change my mind.”

The merchant was as white as a sheet of paper as Haruka turned around and left the man to stand there stone still as if he had seen a ghost.

“His eyes glowed...” The merchant swallowed and murmured to himself, his voice slightly trembling. “His eyes glowed like gold...”

* * *

When Haruka returned, Makoto was inspecting the notebook that Rin had filled about the health condition of their men. He was sitting right beside the fountain, the table was covered with paperwork forgotten on the side in favor of Rin's notebook. The velvet covered parcel was there, too, brought by Haruka's men.

“You two have such sour looks tonight.” Makoto smiled softly at his silently glowering friend. Haruka would seldom resort to violence or physically express his frustration when he was angry, but his passive aggressiveness would always be visible from a mile.

“Where is Rin?” Haruka took a seat beside Makoto.

Makoto poured him some tea. “He refused to eat anything and went up to your room.” He watched how his friend's eyebrows creased together upon the news. “Even though he hasn't eaten since the morning...” He added for good measure to see how that effected Haruka and he saw what he was looking for. Haruka was worried, but he was quick to erase the feeling from his face and eyes.

“His choice.” Haruka sighed in exasperation. “He created quite the commotion yet again.”

“Sato and Mahir told me about it. He is a trouble maker, so I expected this much from him. He is like your ifreeths, unruly and rebellious.”

Haruka _tched_ and turned his head away, still irritated. “The one in my room seems to be quite fond of him.”

Makoto laughed at the news. “Really? Oh, good heavens!”

“Please stop, Makoto. It even mocked me last night, threatened me.”

“Why?” Makoto was aware that sometimes ifreeths refused to listen Haruka's orders and even rebelled him, but this was both dangerous and completely unusual.

“It said if I continue mistreating him, it'll burn the house down.”

“Eeeh? Mistreat? Haru, did you hurt him somehow?”

“Why would I do that? That night was a misunderstanding. He even healed the injury he had made.” But he knew he was not completely telling the truth.

Haruka couldn't sleep well last night, the sight of the redhead's tears was so disturbing; but for the life of him, he didn't understand what made Rin cry like that. He hadn't said anything wrong, hadn't done anything that could be misconstrued. He'd even cleaned Rin's wounds for him. Though not many people were aware but he was a prince by all rights and he had cleaned a slave's feet, not that he'd done that to brag about it. He'd really wanted to ease the redhead's pain a bit, just like he'd done for him. But why...

“I don't understand him at all.”

Makoto's eyes widened and his eyebrows rose in clear bewilderment upon the rare admission. He observed his friend's face, looking for a clue. “Haru, why did you buy him?”

“I don't know!” Haruka vengefully drank his tea, burning his tongue.

Makoto sighed, fully aware that Haruka knew the reason all too well but was currently blind to it. “Then let's remove the chains. I can't even guess when was the last time the poor guys had the chance to have a bath and wore clean clothes.”

“No. The chains remain.”

“Why?”

“I don't want to mark them.”

“Mark Rin, you mean... You even bought Aiichiro for his sake.”

Closing his eyes in irritated acceptance, Haruka conceded. “Yes.”

“Isn't he your slave? Don't all your slaves bare their master's mark? Carrying around those chains and shackles has to be demeaning for someone with a pride like that.”

“With such a pride, you think he'll feel alright about getting branded...” Haruka pinched the bridge of his nose. “But then again, he'll just erase it, Makoto.” He put the tea cup back on its saucer a bit harshly than he intended and unwrapped the cloth around his shoulders to pull his shirt down his injured side, showing it to Makoto.

There was only a very small blemish left on Haruka's skin, Makoto's jaw going slack upon the sight. “Wow, that's...”

“Unbelievable, yes. Erasing a tattoo wouldn't be a problem for someone who could cure a possible collarbone fracture and a heavy bruise in just two days, leaving almost no trace behind.”

Greatly impressed by Rin's ability, Makoto nodded, turning his eyes back to the open pages of Rin's notebook, thoughtful. Rin was an extraordinary man, it was for sure, but Haruka was even more so, too.

“Use those sun treads that your girls weave.” He offered.

Haruka could see how the sun maidens Arinna weave life and fertility with the treads from the sun. He could use the sun rays, undo or redo the knots, tie things down and even let them flourish or destroy them with the treads, but he desisted from ever doing so. His existence was causing enough abnormalities as it was, who was he to decide what to live and what to die. The sun was as merciless as it could get in this barren continent; there was no need for his extra intervention when he couldn't use the rays properly.

“I don't trust myself with those things.” He explained. “They feel like bird feathers in my hands, but...” _I can't control them properly..._

Makoto knew how his friend would have finished the words. “Then again, nothing guarantees that Rin won't try to escape even when he is in chains.” He mused, which was quite correct. “Trying the treads is the best solution.” He added, risking to be seen as heartless, playing the devil's advocate.

“I can do and undo the knots made by my Arinna, but I don't know how to undo it if I sew them myself.”

Makoto sipped his tea, refilling Haruka's cup. He had witnessed how dangerous and devastating those treads could be if they were used wrong. At best, they scorched things to coal instead of giving life to them. When they were kids and Haruka had been newly awakened to his powers, Makoto had secretly mourned over many trees and flowers. Even though he knew Haruka had been hurting as much as himself for being unable to control his powers, Makoto couldn't help being sorry.

Arinna refused to teach Haruka how to govern them and they didn't know why.

He sighed softly and tried to disperse his dark thoughts. “But Rin will escape sooner or later. He'll find a way to get rid of those chains somehow and then he'll be a free man again. Then who'd believe that he used to be a slave?”

Haruka was aware of the inevitable, too. “I won't do that, Makoto.” He finalized the argument.

The answer didn't surprise the green eyed male. Yet, he really wondered what could possibly stop a hurricane like Rin other than drastic measures like this. He futilely hoped that Rin would not test Haruka's resolve. And another question was how desperate Haruka could get if he was tested like that. He didn't want to think about it.

To change the subject, he indicated his head towards the documents that were laid out on the table. “I wrote our reply as you requested. I am going to send the letter tomorrow to inform that we accept the job.”

“I hate Dain.” Haruka played with the water in the fountain.

“You hate almost everywhere, Haru.”

“It's in the desert.”

“Aren't we already in the desert? And, think about it, it's close to Ingiria. You'll get to swim in the sea if we go to that country.”

“In a roundabout way, yes.” Haruka got up, collecting his shawl and turban. “I should return that to him.” He pointed to the notebook and Makoto handed him that. “And that parcel. There are daggers inside it. Keep them among your things for me. I don't want any more weapons in the room.”

Makoto nodded. Now that he knew the story behind the janbiya, his interest peaked. “Can I look at them?”

Haruka shrugged as an answer and left the green eyed male alone.

Makoto took the parcel and carefully unwrapped the cloth over the daggers and his eyebrows rose at them. The daggers were really well made and their hilts were made from a gold alloy that was quite expensive and rare to see. The décor on them looked like a coiling serpent with two tails, the tails forming the hand guards. There were stones engraved on the guards and though it was dark, Makoto could see that they were precious stones, most probably emeralds, but he wasn't sure. The blade was peculiar. He knew about custom made weapons, wrought according to the needs and likes of the customers but he had never seen something like this. He grabbed a dagger, tip of it pointing to his elbow and made a motion as if he was going to punch someone. _Wow..._ He marveled at it. A wound made by the jagged outer side of the blades would simply destroy the tissue in an incurable way.

He inspected the intricately made scabbard and the hilt to find a clue about who could be the blacksmith that wrought such a beautiful thing, but all he could surmise was that the daggers were made in Shalbatana. Only their people made daggers with such subtle curves and width. The other cultures preferred heavily curved, nearly impractical single edged ones. These were double edged and very light.

He sighed. If only his grandfather or father were here. They were accomplished smiths, and Makoto was sure that one of them would know who was the maker of these. The daggers were really unique and beautiful, worthy of royalty. But he was truly astonished at the fact that someone like Rin claimed to own them.

That redhead was certainly more than what he looked and Makoto hoped that Haruka would not let his guard down around him.

* * *

_TBC..._


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** I am alive.  I am just going through great changes in my life at the moment. I have already written 2 more chapters but the text needs to be typed, since I wrote them down in my notebook. It is a pain because I write long chapters, but I'll try my best. This chapter is for sphiggo and MiekoArtsu.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The next day, Rin woke up with quite the hunger since he had eaten next to nothing the day before. But that wasn’t the reason of his sour mood as he groggily looked around, seeing the first lights of the rising sun filtering through the only window of the room. He was still livid about his daggers and about the way Haruka had acted last night. Ordering his man to haul Rin up and away as if Rin was some garbage to be removed, as if his claims meant nothing hurt him even though he knew that here he was a lowly slave whose words were apparently cheaper when put against a thief’s so called social status. Not that he would ever suffer through this, but Rin knew that he was lucky for not being beaten up for his behavior because he had seen slaves being treated less than dirt when they angered their masters, but Rin had been a free man not long before.

He had always despised the idea of slavery and he was proud to say that his country was one of the few on the continent where slavery was abolished and banned. Though in most of the countries he had visited time after time again, slavery was partially banned or done under strict circumstances; such as only trading the prisoners of war or people who couldn’t pay their dues to the kings or the sultans, but everyone was aware that people involved in this inhuman trade could always find loopholes around the regulations or solved some problems with the power of money. As long as it wasn’t completely abolished, slavery was always going to find new forms or ways to exist.

Even someone like Makoto, who could buy the services of anyone he wanted, had quite the number of slaves. Though neither Aiichiro nor Rin had shown their use for him yet, Makoto had been gentle with them to the point of making Rin question the real reason why the Bey had bought them. Makoto was unlike any other slave owner tradesman that Rin had known. He was not needlessly cruel; he looked calm and gave off an easygoing vibe. Come to think of it, even though Rin still couldn’t fathom what Haruka was, the brunette was calm and collected, too, giving less to go by than Makoto, who was much more expressive and talkative than his business partner, friend, or whatever Haruka was. In fact, contrary to Rin’s nature, the brunette was calm and sometimes inexpressive to the point of infuriating. He honestly wondered if there was a way to fire the brunette up even as he generally looked bored out of his skull.

Rin huffed and got up, not even sparing a glance towards Haruka’s side, directly going to the adjacent bathroom. He was really in need of a proper bath but guessing that it was not going to be possible in the near future, he cleaned himself as best as he could. He filled the basin with clean water and took it inside to wake Aiichiro up.

The said boy was already awake when Rin returned. He was untying the bandages around his torso gingerly as his broken rib was still not completely mended. Though no visible bruise or internal hemorrhaging was left, Rin currently didn’t have the stamina to completely heal his friend. He was hungry, he had his own wounds even though they were little, and treating Haruka and his men’s minor problems without having a chance to swim or be near an alive water body had depleted his strength. He could still do it, but he doubted that he would be able to lift a finger after that for a whole day. Since he didn’t have the luxury to laze around until he felt better, Aiichiro’s treatment had to go slowly.

The silver haired boy smiled at him quietly as a greeting and Rin sat before him to begin his morning treatment.

“Haruka-san seems to have woken up before us this time.” He talked with a small voice as Rin handed him the basin to clean himself.

Rin turned towards the fire place to get the kettle going, his eyes involuntarily skipping to the empty bed near it. So Haruka had left early. Rin shrugged, betraying his sour mood. Fine by him…

“What happened, Senpai? You look somewhat angry.” Aiichiro observed.

Setting the kettle over the dying flames, Rin fed the fire with a few pieces of coal and wood. “Last night, I saw the merchant who bought the robbed goods from those bandits on the outskirts of Nefer that day.” He turned back to Aiichiro.

The silver haired youth grimaced in distaste. “And then?”

Rin opened the oil jars and rubbed some oil in his hands. As he massaged Aiichiro’s side, they continued their talk. “I saw my daggers on that pillager’s stand.” Aiichiro’s eyes widened at that. “As expected, nobody believed me when I said who that damned man was. I guess I caused a commotion and Haruka made his men remove me from there.”

“And the daggers?”

“Not that I expected to get them, but I think I have lost them for good this time.”

Aiichiro knew how Rin loved those daggers, but he could also see that Rin’s ire had another cause. Yet he wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to force his elder to talk about the real reason which he could already guess.

Being ill, Aiichiro was aware that Rin was getting the brunt of being a slave, most probably shouldering two people’s worth of misfortune in Aiichiro’s stead, too. He couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of hell it had to be for Rin to live under these circumstances because of Aiichiro’s ineptitude. Even though Rin admonished him for doing it several times, Aiichiro couldn’t help but blame himself for the situation that they were in.

He returned to himself by Rin’s voice. “These bandits are not simply foolhardy hooligans. They act like an organization, what with having all these connections with shady tradesmen and such.” The red head was contemplating to himself. “If we hear about them more in the future, I won’t be surprised.”

“Those men talked all kinds of gibberish but most of them used the language of Shalbatana and the common tongue.” Aiichiro added.

Rin made a sound of agreement in his throat. “Their clothes and weapons were also mostly of that country’s custom. Ai, those men are killing and selling their own people. It is not the first time we have seen people like them, but think about it… That slave trader who sold us to these people… How quick was that they procured our identification documents… How lax is the city patrolling stations and customs offices here are for these men to easily smuggle stolen goods and then sell them around without a shred of fear?”

“You mean the authorities are working with them, too?”

“Maybe not working, but I’d say they are turning a blind eye to what is happening. Shalbatana is becoming a richer country after the implementation of the Arda Dam, but only the northern part of it where there are fertile fields. What do the people of the south do then? What can the people living in the desert do other than herding camels and cattle or thriving on slavery and smuggling rare goods like sugar and salt and hashish?” Rin stopped for emphasis. “They steal. That’s all there is to it.”

Aiichiro nodded at that. “And for a few bits of silver or gold, the authorities ignore them.”

“Yes.” Rin finished his massage, redoing the bandages on his friend.

“It seems that Makoto-san and Haruka-san are from Shalbatana, too. How can they stay calm about it?”

Rin shrugged at that, getting up. “Being a tradesman requires that kind of mentality, I guess.” He narrowed his eyes down. “As long as your caravan is safe, you care about nothing…” He muttered even though he couldn’t half believe in what he had said. He still had his doubts about Haruka, but Makoto didn’t seem like that kind of a callous man. Then again, one should trust no one other than himself on this desert.

“I’ll go and get us some breakfast.”

And as soon as Rin made out of the door, he saw one of the servants carrying a small tray upstairs towards Haruka’s room. He tried to take the tray but the servant ignored him. “You are expected downstairs.”

“Right now?” Rin eyed the food tray with a longing he couldn’t hide. But the servant nodded. “Yes, right now.”

Dragging his chains behind him in desolation, Rin went downstairs and looked around the stone yard and the pillars. When he saw Haruka sitting under the building’s shade comfortably, his eyebrows furrowed in ire, but he didn’t say anything, approaching him.

“We are going out.” The brunette informed him and got up, correcting the position of his kilij on his belt.

“For what?” Rin tersely asked, even though he knew that it was childish to antagonize the other. “Haven’t I already seen all your men?”

“That job is done.” Haruka answered. He eyed Rin for a moment and then as if he remembered something, he turned his head away. “But you have promised them remedies, haven’t you?” He added.

Rin’s eyes widened at the question. “But I need to make a list of ingredients for them. You can’t find most of them premade. You need to boil or crush those things by yourself before they are of any use.”

Haruka seemed to consider that. “Don’t you have your notebook with you?” And upon Rin’s negative answer, he told him to go and get it.

Not really wanting to go out for this errand, Rin did as he was told reluctantly. Haruka was waiting for him at the gates. Without any preamble, they went out and Rin dragged his feet as he flipped through his notebook, making a mental list of the things that he could make Haruka buy. The premade remedies that some people sold were scams and could be really harmful. There were few honest apothecaries that Rin could trust, yet they did not live in this country or the city. So making your own remedies was always the safest way. And Rin immensely enjoyed doing that.

Even though if he had had the means to rejuvenate himself after each treatment, he wouldn't want to heal all these people by himself by just relying on his powers alone. He generally preferred taking the edge of the illness with his power and then leave the rest to the herbs, oils, seeds, roots and anything that you could imagine that could be found in an apothecary. This gave him a sense of normalcy and he cherished it.

Even as he was deeply immersed in his own thoughts, Rin was aware of Haruka’s somewhat fidgety countenance. The brunette was trying to keep pace with Rin’s sloppy and slow walking and was stealing glances at him from time to time as if he had something on his mind but couldn’t talk about it. Rin ignored it, he was still angry with Haruka for last night and about the new shackles. But he had to confess that seeing the brunette acting like this cooled some of his ire.

Then again, even in exchange for seeing this, he really didn’t want to run errands when he felt this miserable. “Was this so urgent that we had to go out even before eating something?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“I hate the heat; it is cooler in the morning.”

Rin rolled his eyes at Haruka’s practicality. “For someone doing caravan trade on a desert that’s a neat preference.” He nearly snorted.

“I did not choose to be a trader.” Haruka side eyed him and Rin caught his blue eyes with his surprised red gaze. Surprised, because this was the first thing Haruka had disclosed about himself.

The immediate question that came to his mind was _Then why are you doing it, are you forced into it?_ But he reined in his curiosity, not wanting Haruka to close off. Instead, he asked, “What did you want to be then?”

For a moment Haruka looked surprised at the question, too, as if he had never considered it before. His gaze turned back to the road and he thought.

“A fisherman… Perhaps…” Was his hesitant, unsure reply.

His wonder growing, Rin tucked his notebook under his sash. “So you like the sea…” He assumed.

“Not the sea in particular.” Haruka corrected. “It is just that fishing is the first job that comes to my mind which lets you be close to the water.”

Rin didn’t say anything, silently observing the other. So Haruka loved the water in any of its forms, huh? Yet how ironic was his situation, being in the middle of a desert, probably born in a country with no coastline to the sea, and having a core of fire and that weird body temperature of his… Haruka was an unfortunate guy through and through because Rin could see that even the morning sun mocked Haruka’s preference. It seemed like the sun was shining upon the other in a different way. Rin couldn’t explain it but Haruka’s hair, eyes, and skin looked much more alive than any of the things around him. Everything looked a bit pale in comparison to the brunette. Or maybe they looked as they were supposed to be and Haruka was the irregularity here. He didn’t quite get it, but he had heard and read about the people of the south who were blessed and favored by the sun and people of the north who were blessed by all forms of water. Even though they were believed to be in legends, Rin was willing to think that Haruka could be one of those people of the sun. Considering what he himself was, Rin was ready to believe these kinds of legends as truths disguised as tales.

“My father was a fisherman, too.” Rin commented. It was only fair to share something of his own.

Haruka’s eyes turned back to him. “Was?” He saw Rin’s expression change into a serious and forlorn one.

“He died at the sea when I was small.” Rin remembered the day that he had heard of the news bitterly. It was also the day that his powers had manifested and that was when he had become frightened of the destruction that he was capable of. No wonder the elders of his country had practically kicked him out of the country into a life of partial exile after they had witnessed what Rin could do when he was devastated. He had laid ruin to the lands.

“My condolences.” Haruka’s soft voice shook Rin out of the unwanted and disturbing memory. He nodded at the brunette who was eying him as if he could tell that Rin had remembered something unpleasant. For a second there, Rin enjoyed the look of _not knowing what to say_ that was painted on Haruka’s face and he shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Old story…” He mumbled, downplaying how disturbed he’d felt earlier.

There was hesitation in Haruka’s blue gaze, but he relented and changed the subject. “You know what we have to get?”

“More or less.” Rin answered, internally thankful that the subject was closed. “But if you are in a hurry, you’ll have to send in someone else in your stead. We might have to search for some of these things the whole day.”

That made Haruka’s eyes narrow down into bored half masts and Rin had to suppress a chuckle at the sight. “What?” He asked, feeling somewhat vengeful in a playful way. “You thought we’d find everything in a shop or something?”

When Haruka refused to answer and turned his head away, he actually chuckled this time at the brunette’s naivety. He didn’t see how Haruka had turned back to him upon the sound and gazed at him with wonder and then with a soft expression as if he felt relaxed at the sight of Rin’s momentary mirth.

“We won’t even find some of the herbs even if we upturn the whole city since herbs of this part of the continent are mostly endemic.” Rin sobered, but his eyes were still lively.

“Endemic?” Haruka asked. “In what way?”

“You know nothing about botany, do you?” Rin raised an eyebrow when he saw the incomprehension on Haruka’s face. “Sometimes some herbs or trees or vegetation are unique to a location. They can’t grow up in an environment with different soil or weather conditions.” Then he stopped and shrugged in a dismissive way. “Sometimes they can, but they adapt gradually and turn into a slightly different species, losing one aspect and gaining another. This is a desert that we live in. The conditions are getting more extreme day by day. In the past, when there wasn’t a dam upon the River Arda, I am sure some herbs were much more common than they are now. People of Shalbatana destroyed their environment. Those lands are immersed under that huge lake now. We made the conditions more severe than they already were.”

“That dam is a necessity.” Came Haruka’s to the point reply. “Those people tied their hopes of survival to that dam and those irrigation canals.”

It was really hard, but Rin controlled the knee jerk reaction of his angry rebuttal from spilling out. Haruka certainly had to be from Shalbatana, advocating the existence of the dam like the local people and the farmers did. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from uttering a piece of his mind.

“Necessity? Yes, I can understand that, but that dam is a short term solution and nobody seems to think at what cost it was built.”

“What do you think you know about it?” Haruka’s voice was suddenly cold.

A bit surprised by the defensive sound of it, Rin turned and looked at the other, trying to understand why he suddenly seemed more imposing and unapproachable. “About what?” He asked, never one to step down when it came to talking about this subject. “The people or the dam?”

“Both.” Haruka answered, now his upper body was turned to him, too, his shoulders tense.

“Hey, easy there.” Rin half smiled in a nervous way and half warned as if he was in any position to do that with his hands and feet chained. But Haruka’s defensiveness of the subject irritated him. “I am the last person you’d want to engage in a talk of water politics, Haruka. I am not from your lands, but I have been traveling this desert and your country since I was ten. I know a few things about rivers, lakes, and oases and I have seen how that dam of yours has affected the surrounding countries to yours.”

Haruka seemed to consider Rin’s words in quite a serious and tense countenance and as if he didn’t want to further the argument, he sharply turned his face towards the road. “Right, it is not the time for that.” He conceded the argument on a cold and indifferent tone, but asked something else. “Why do you think I’m from Shalbatana?”

“You _are_ from Shalbatana.” Rin turned his face away, too. “Your dialect, the subtle curve of the kilij that you are carrying, the way you defend the dam… Are you a mercenary for hire?”

Looking a bit dismayed, Haruka sharply refuted the question. “No.”

“You look like a soldier more than a trader.” Rin tried to bait Haruka, but the brunette chose to not elaborate on that.

“And you certainly look more than a healer.”

“Everybody is more than they look.” Rin shrugged. “That’s the interesting part of being human.”

Haruka remained silent at that and looked a bit self conscious as he needlessly corrected his bright belt and the position of his kilij. It looked as if he was displeased about something. Rin guessed that Haruka didn’t like others learning about him even though the information was about something as trivial as what his homeland was.

“So where are you from?” Haruka asked the inevitable and expected question. Apparently he was curious today.

Rin was not about to tell him that he and Ai were from maybe the sole country that the people of Shalbatana couldn’t get along or wanted anything to do with. He was from Kissaara, the northernmost country that stood between the Great Sea and Shalbatana, where River Arda expanded into a huge delta and met with the waters of the Sea. And as a result of the dam in Haruka’s country, that delta was doomed to erode back into the sea and there was less and less water in the wells or in the small lakes or brooks around the country. All the water was being greedily collected in the middle part of the river basin by the dam and the river looked like a swamp around where it met the Sea when before that land had been used for agriculture in the past.

“Take a guess.” Rin refused to tell the truth or lie about it. _Let him think whatever he wants_ , he thought.

Haruka seemed to seriously consider for a while. His blue eyes looked sharp as he regarded Rin, but he didn’t say anything about his displeasure that he felt because of Rin’s roundabout way of talking.

“I’d say you’re from Shalbatana if I weren’t from there and didn’t know my people better.”

Rin kept himself from snorting at that.

“Most probably somewhere with a shore, like Qenaan, since you said your father was a fisherman.” Haruka made his guess and to his surprise Rin’s face betrayed nothing. “Aren’t you?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Rin, aware of the slight irritation that rolled off of Haruka, could only nod, not willing to elaborate.

“But then again, you know these southern lands as if you belong here.” Haruka observed, persistent and talkative uncharacteristically.

Rin didn’t want to disclose more than what Haruka could already guess, because Haruka and his men were quite secretive. Considering his position, Rin had to be secretive, too.

“I like helping people and I have to travel around to find the people in need. I bet I’ve visited as many cities as you merchants have seen.”

Rin’s answer was not satisfactory again, because he could have been helpful by being a healer in his own lands, opening a place of sorts to care for patients. But Haruka didn’t probe further about why the red head and his friend preferred to roam instead of settling down in one place in their homeland. Everybody had their reasons just like he himself had for having to bear with being a caravan trader, never stopping at one place for long. With time, Haruka supposed, he would learn about Rin’s reason sooner or later.

The morning bazaar was quite crowded contrary to Rin’s expectation, but he was still hungry and thus a little bit sour as he followed Haruka’s lead. Now the brunette was walking purposefully, going for a shop that he had to have in mind. Within a few minutes they were before a nice and cozy shop, cool because of its stone structure.

Rin inspected the dried, crushed or preserved herbs and exotic animal parts with the same childish awe that he always had in an apothecary. Forgetting his chains and what they entailed for, he reached for jars, baskets and sacks, not seeing how the shop owner shared a tight look with Haruka. It was as if something in Haruka’s gaze was able to prevent the immediate reaction of the merchant when the presumptuous slave dared to touch his goods.

Here in the south, slaves, especially the chain bound ones were seen as less than dirt. They were considered dangerous and unworthy since they had not proven to be valuable enough to be branded by their master’s brand or mark. Rin was not aware, but Haruka’s silent yet sinister presence was a huge deterrent and the reason that some people tolerated Rin’s presence in their near vicinity.

Blissfully ignorant of his position, Rin started to name what he needed and how much of it he needed. The shop owner prepared what was asked of him, but he kept silent even when Rin asked him if he had this or that. After a few tries, Rin understood the situation and Haruka witnessed how crestfallen Rin’s face had turned and how his irritation with the situation became sharp as a knife. But Rin’s control of himself was admirable as he waited for the things to be packed.

The shop keeper did not even hand the parcel to Rin. Instead, he put the thing on the counter, further away from himself as if Rin was a vermin that he’d like to avoid.

All his good mood now gone, Rin got the packet and reminded himself that he bore with this kind of assholes for the greater good of people in need. He had made a promise with those men and he wanted to keep it by making them those remedies.

Haruka was quite surprised by Rin’s controlled behavior, too. He had half expected the red head to create a scene again, but Rin had stayed silent, fuming and disappointed, yet in a controlled way. Haruka paid for the parcel and they left.

By now the market place was disturbingly lively and noisy, city gates now open to the caravans that left or entered. Rin followed Haruka in a thoughtful way, trying to keep his mind off of the rude shop keeper by mentally checking his list. Not paying attention to where Haruka was leading him, Rin was surprised after he realized that they entered the shaded yard of a coffee house.

Haruka quickly found himself a nice spot to sit down before a low table and Rin resisted the natural urge to rest his feet, too. He stayed standing in irritated reluctance, his gaze questioning Haruka. To his surprise, Haruka motioned for him to sit as if it was natural to share a table with a chained slave. Even though a bit incredulous about Haruka’s nonchalance about being seen sharing a table with a slave, Rin did not hesitate to sit down. He dumped the package on the table and raised his eyebrows. “What are we doing here?”

“Getting something for you to eat.” Haruka answered.

Rin’s eyes widened a bit, but he quickly averted them to the plate that was set between him and Haruka by a servant. There were several pieces of meat wrapped with thin slices of bread and some boiled root veggies on the table. It smelled mouth watering and reminded Rin of his hunger severely.

Haruka pushed the full plate towards Rin and urged him to eat. A bit apprehensive, Rin took one bread roll and suppressing the compulsive need to check if anyone was watching him, he bit into it. Though meat was not something he'd normally eat for breakfast, he loved the taste of it and it had been a long time since he last had eaten some, so he was not one to turn away the opportunity.

Haruka watched the healer eat as they were served tea in glass cups. He hoped that Rin's sour mood would be elevated by the delicious breakfast. He refused to think of this as a peace offering, but at least he was aware that he somehow always managed to upset Rin. Not truly understanding even half of the reason behind the other's constant irritation, and dare he say sadness, he couldn't overcome the nagging need to erase that foul mood and upset. Seeing Rin like this bothered him. Maybe it was his guilty conscience talking, but Haruka instinctively knew that he was the reason of that dejected and troubled face. Well, at least most of the reason, even though he generally found himself reluctant to admit it in a conscious way.

Rin ate in silence, aware that he was being watched by Haruka. The brunette's attentive gaze was a bit troubling, but by now Rin found it useless to point it out to the other, knowing that Haruka was going to deny it and close himself off. And Rin would hate it to walk around under the hot sun with someone who ignored him. Rin knew that soldiers spoke less and observed more just like Haruka, yet even though the brunette gave off the vibe of a military upbringing, Haruka refuted that claim earlier. Rin doubted that Haruka had any obligation to tell him the truth, but it didn't mean that he had to believe him. Haruka was too reserved and secretive for Rin's liking but his company was not unpleasant. Well... If Rin did not count the brunette's occasional callousness.

Haruka silently drank his tea, the servant refilling his glass. Ironically, he wasn't aware of how he watched his companion or if he might be bothering the other by his unwavering gaze. He only came to himself when Rin directed his eyes at him, as if telling him to stop ogling him. Then he quickly averted his eyes in suppressed irritation -with himself- but not for a long time as his eyes slowly but surely landed on Rin again.

Dismayed by his own lack of control, he tried to distract himself by asking. “Do you need anything more for those remedies?”

Finished with his breakfast, Rin drank from his tea and mentally checked his list. “A few things more.” He mumbled thoughtfully. “Some of them, as I said before, we can't find here. And I need small glass jars to put the mixes in.”

Haruka nodded at that, saying he'd get someone else to buy them for Rin. Seeing that the red head finished, he motioned to get up and after a while they were back among the crowd. They walked around the streets reserved for spices and exotic things slowly and every time Rin needed something, Haruka bought it for him, creating a huge pile of things stashed among Rin's arms. But Rin did not complain. He loved the nice aromatic smell that rose from the pile and these streets were covered with huge pieces of fabric from above, creating shelter for them from the sun. But after a while his arms felt sore and as if Haruka had read his mind, one of his men appeared by their side and took away all the packets from Rin. Relieved from his burden, Rin wondered what else they were going to do since it looked like Haruka meant to walk around some more.

Surprisingly, Haruka took him to another coffee house and there he met someone. Rin sat somewhere close to them, trying to get a gist of what they were talking about, but all he could understand that there was going to be a large transaction and that they should get ready for it. Listening in on them discreetly, Rin drank a large cool drink, both fruity and sour-sweet in a pleasant way, filled again as many times as he finished it.

It seemed to Rin like the master, Makoto, was about to sell a large sum of valuable fabric, something like silk, to a far away country and that they needed all their men at their disposal here. Rin wondered where they aimed to go, which country they were talking about, but he couldn't hear anything about it. That was vital information for him, since he had to know their route to plan an escape as soon as possible. To tell the truth, he'd hate to go deeper into the Desert, because the plainer the landscape was the harder it was to get oneself lost to their pursuers. Then again, Rin believed that he and Ai were going to get their opportunity sooner or later.

When it seemed like Haruka and the man's talk was over, they were served fruits and some kind of nicely smelling bread and cheese. Rin was given the same food, too, which was surprising considering that everyone in the coffee house could easily see that he was a lowly slave. Yet here he was getting the same treatment with a free man. Not thinking much on it, he ate his late lunch before Haruka and his man got up to leave. Rin followed them.

Their next stop was the streets that sold clothes of all kinds for men and women. Rin watched the brunette buy many things, from undershirts and pants to shalvars and thin overcoats. Whatever the brunette bought, he bought them in two sizes and made Rin carry the items. Not questioning it, Rin's attention was elsewhere. He wanted to look for that used weapon's stand and see for himself if his daggers were sold or not. His attachment to them was great because he had been carrying them around since his childhood. But honestly, there was nothing he could do about it even if his daggers were still displayed on the stand.

He wistfully carried Haruka's purchases and before the evening settled over the city, they were back to the store house. Rin quickly disappeared to the room upstairs to check upon his friend and Haruka got caught by Makoto who wanted him to look over some papers sent by the Customs of the City of Nefer.

As they ate, Makoto pointed towards the bundle of things in the stone yard that Rin had left there. “That's quite a lot. Don't you think so?” He observed with a meaningful smile.

“They'll need them and I can't be troubled to buy them later.” Haruka answered, pointedly looking elsewhere.

“So you buy them in heaps, huh...” Makoto continued to smile, trying to stop himself from actually snorting at Haruka's obviousness. Haruka, as expected, did not even bother to answer to that, digging his fork to his dinner.

“At least Rin is dedicated to his job.” Makoto probed further, because he had seen the packets of herbs and other things that one of the men brought into the kitchen area.

“His friend seems well enough to work, too.” Haruka changed the subject.

Makoto humored him. “Just in time... We need our animals checked, the road is long.”

“And boring.” Haruka deadpanned.

Makoto apologetically smiled at Haruka's reluctance to cross the Desert. Staying somewhere for a few months was fine, but they had to leave eventually sooner or later. In fact, the sooner it was, the better. Even though currently there seemed to be no change in weather, one could never guess when Haruka's powers would make themselves known. Also, moving around helped to confuse any sorts of bandits who might follow them around to learn their routines in order to find the best time to attack them. Their men were always tight lipped about their business, so predicting their sporadic travel times was not easy. Makoto hoped that it continued to be so.

As they ate and drank their tea afterward, they saw Rin come down to get their dinner. The red head looked tired. He slouched a bit and seemed to drag his feet around. Makoto watched him in concern because he could see the amounting fatigue and the weariness were due to Rin's captivity. It was more than something physical and he wondered if Haruka was aware of this. He just hoped that no trouble would arise due to it in the future.

Haruka finished his tea in silence and left Makoto to his hookah and tea in the yard. He took the bundle of clothes and went upstairs, finding Rin and Aiichiro in the middle of a hushed conversation. He couldn't hear it all but Rin had been telling the silver haired teen that he could start walking around tomorrow and get some much needed sun. Aiichiro certainly seemed better even though he had thinned down a bit within the week that Haruka had first seen him. He wondered why Rin did not heal his friend immediately like he had done with his collarbone fracture. Maybe he wanted to shelter the slighter male from physical work seeing that Rin had to be the one with the last word here. Haruka suspected that since Rin was prone to shoulder the burden or take the lead, Aiichiro had to be either like a brother to him or a precious underling that Rin was feeling responsible of his well being. They could also be lovers, because it wasn't uncommon among travelers or caravan people to have same sex lovers but Haruka did not even deem the possibility as worthy of considering. Why his mind refused to even mull over the idea more than a few seconds, he did not know or question. But he was sure that lovers did not act like brothers.

He left the bundle on his bed and shed his shawl and shirt, undoing his numerous belts. He took his kilij with him to the bathroom, but he did not spent much time there since he had other plans for a good soak. Returning back, he watched Rin massage his friend's side and help him clean himself as best as he could before steeping some tea for Aiichiro. This time the red head made a different tea, apparently he had taken some of the herbs from the kitchen. It smelled sweet and as Haruka sat on his bed without bothering to dry himself up, he asked a cup from it.

“But it is for muscle pains and to increase appetite.” Rin tried to explain, but Haruka insisted.

Pouring two cups for Haruka and Ai, Rin handed them their drinks and started to play with the fire after feeding it with a bit of coal and wood.

“Don't play with him.” Haruka warned Rin, unable to help himself when he felt how pleased the ifreet of the fire was upon getting Rin's attention. He didn't understand the fire djinn's fascination with the red head and why the ifreet vehemently refused to obey him after he had bought and brought Rin in.

Rin turned around, dropping the thin metal stick that he had been pushing and moving the coal bits around. “Him?” He asked in incomprehension.

Haruka blinked, realizing how he had called the djinn as if he had been speaking with Makoto who knew about the ifreets of fire and the maidens of the Sun, Arinna. “I meant the fire.” He tried to clumsily elaborate.

“I understood that much.” Rin's eyes narrowed down in annoyance, as if he was offended by the explanation of the obvious. “I didn't know that there are people who called fire with the male pronouns...” He seemed surprised again.

Haruka debated what to say about it, the truth or something elusive and ordinary... But Rin spoke and proved yet again how well he knew the people of Shalbatana.

“I know your chief god is male and he governs the sun. ButI thought fire was something completely different and was not associated with the same god. Am I wrong?”

Haruka looked sideways towards the fire in an irritated manner as if he was blaming it for the sudden curiosity in his country's pantheon, because he was the only one who could hear the mocking tone of the chuckles that the ifreet of the heart was making at his expense.

“You are wrong.” He said in obvious reluctance as if he hated to talk about the subject. “The sun governs everything and fire is one of them.”

“Then again you are the first one I heard who talks about the fire as if you are talking about a sentient being.” Rin pressed further, charmed by the new knowledge. He wondered if fire had spirits, too, just like inland water resources had their guardian spirits, aranks.

“Ever heard of ifreets?” Haruka asked, giving up on trying to hide what the healer or his friend could learn eventually if they asked around enough.

“Malicious demons?” Aiichiro was the one who spoke, drawing the attention to himself. “Well...” He looked a bit sheepish as he tried to say more. “They are considered bad news in where I was born.”

Haruka drank a bit of tea from his cup, secretly enjoying the offended way the fire continued to burn. “They are djinns. We believe that they dwell in the fire places or the hearts of the houses. If there is a certain place where people frequently build a fire, then that place has its ifreet, its guardian.”

Rin looked captivated and Haruka was positively taken aback by his lively expression and rapt attention. “They are mostly neutral beings, neither malicious, nor benevolent. But sometimes they are provoked or offended for whatever reason and burn down the house or destroy the site that people build fire like camps or furnaces.”

“You speak as if you know them.” Rin observed with a bit of humor, knowing that it was unlikely.

 _If only you had any idea..._ Haruka thought self deprecatingly. “We don't speak about them much. Maybe that's the reason you have never heard anyone talking about them with male pronouns. We believe that they are a fragment of the sun and revere them silently.”

“So the ifreets are male because your sun god is male...” Rin raised his eyebrows.

“No, because they choose to be attributed to whatever they deem as male or masculine.”

Rin snorted at that. “Not because people like to attribute the power of the fire with maleness or masculinity, but because the ifreets like to think so of themselves, huh?”

Haruka inwardly cringed at Rin's sharpness and his own slip.

“You really speak as if you know them.”

Haruka counted himself lucky that Rin obviously considered what he correctly guessed as unlikely and that the others could not hear how happily and maniacally the ifreet of his room was laughing at him. That little djinn needed to be reminded of who Haruka was, but not tonight.

Rin found the clear show of displeasure and derision on Haruka's face as amusing. It was as if the normally indifferent and aloof youth wanted to douse the fire with a bucket of cold water or worse, stomp it with his own feet until the flames died. Apparently Haruka didn't like losing an argument or someone finding an opening of his.

Discreetly shaking his head at the brunette's antics, Rin took back the cups and refilled them. “But all these do not explain why I shouldn't play with _him_.” He smiled, thinking of his aranks and how disappointed he had been when he had realized that he was the only one who could see or hear them. He was open to the idea that any fire place or heart had a guardian since he knew the existence of the guardians of the water bodies on land. The idea was a fantastic one and he really wanted to see a djinn with his own eyes. But apparently they were either a legend or Rin was not meant to see them.

Haruka sipped at his tea in a totally disinterested and inspirited way, hoping that his attitude would discourage Rin from asking more. “Fire should not be disturbed. You should just let it consume itself.”

Rin raised an eyebrow at the enigmatic words and at Haruka's dismissive behavior, suspect written on his face, but he asked no more. He knew that there had to be other supernatural beings around other than his aranks and suvkıs, because water was not the only natural force at work in this world. He was really fascinated about this secrecy around the ifreets, but Haruka seemed to be no longer interested in the subject for some reason.

Of course, he and Ai had heard about the ifreets a few times but they thought that ifreets were a kind of demon. Considering that the fire djinns could be both on the good and the bad side of the spectrum, it was no wonder that people refused to meddle with them.

Rin wondered what else he didn't know about the lore of the south and if Haruka had heard anything about the aranks and suvkis. He doubted it because their countries had founded their religions around two opposing gods. Shalbatana worshiped the sun and Kissaara held their water god above all else. And most probably, from Haruka's point of view, there was no need to learn anything about the country that they did not have good relations with.

Mentally shrugging off the unpleasant thought, Rin helped Ai lay down and then started to arrange his meager pillow and cover to have a rest, but Haruka stopped him.

“Rin, open that bundle and see if they'll fit you and Aiichiro.”

“Fit us?” Rin was clearly surprised, because when Haruka had bought the things in it, Rin had thought that they were for the brunette or for somebody else. Hesitantly, he approached and opened the bundle of clothes. There were heaps of folded garments and for a moment Rin did not know what to do with them. He had not paid much attention when the brunette was buying them, but now that he could look at them properly, he could see that they were made of fine fabric and expensive. He had certainly seen better ones but these were not the things one would buy for mere slaves. Rin pushed them away, getting upset all of a sudden. “Thank you, we do not need them.”

The look of incomprehension was so striking on Haruka's face that for a second Rin was taken aback. “Why?” The brunette asked, not understanding Rin's reasoning. “The clothes on you are the only ones I see that you own and they seem to need a through washing.”

Rin's face colored upon the remark and yet again Haruka didn't comprehend why the other suddenly looked offended after his words. “You need them.” He tried o break Rin's stubbornness, but the red head was back at his corner of the room again, beating his pillow to fluff it up in a needlessly aggressive way. “Take them as a thank you gift for healing me.” Haruka blurted, at a loss of what to say.

“I was the one who caused that injury in the first place.” Rin replied tersely.

“Yes, because I frightened you into doing it.”

Rin cringed at the word _frightened_ but it was the truth, he had been cornered and scared that night.

“And Makoto suggested this.” Haruka lied, unable to believe himself that he was able resort to lying just to make Rin accept the clothes.

“In return of what?” Rin asked, sitting on the ground, shielding Aiichiro who could only listen to the heated exchange with raised eyebrows.

“Nothing.” Haruka replied, a bit of incomprehension showing on his face again. He looked guileless and quite innocent for someone who claimed to be a merchant since his childhood.

“Are you serious?” Rin couldn't believe how Haruka was unable to see the implications behind what he was saying. “We are slaves. And in case you haven't realized yet, slaves are given nothing and yet they are expected to give whatever they have as if they owed something to their enslavers.”

Offended by Rin's accusation, Haruka's eyes sharpened and narrowed down. “Nothing is expected of you other than doing your job for the men and the animals.” His voice was ice cold.

Blinking at the harsh tone of the brunette, Rin sighed. “You can't see this from a slave's point of view, can you?” He was exasperated. “ A free man can never understand the concerns of people like us.”

“Believe it or not, not everything is done with an ulterior motive and not every word has ill intent behind it, Rin.

Rin looked at Haruka long and hard, thinking that it was easier to claim that when one's hands and feet weren't bound. “Certainly...” He bit sourly, the depressed and fatigued look of earlier returning to his countenance. “But not for people like us.” Then he turned around and tucked himself into his uncomfortable sleeping arrangements on the cold and hard ground. He shared a look with Aiichiro, who was looking at him with concern and a bit of surprise on his face, and then averted his eyes.

“But you need them.” Haruka insisted, a bit angry and actually quite disappointed by the outcome of what he had done for the other two.

“Yeah, but that does not mean we like having to depend on you or anyone else to get them...” Rin rebutted yet again and mumbled the rest as if to himself. “...In return of whatever our master wants.”

Sighing silently in bewilderment and dejection, Haruka was this close to slam his head to the nearest hard surface, but thankfully he had much more control over his emotions than that. He continued to sit there, looking at the red haired youth who was lying down with his back turned to him and wondered if he had a thing which always managed to rub Rin the wrong way. He honestly couldn't wrap his mind around what was so wrong in giving them a few pieces of clothes and why Rin was so stubborn and ready to jump to conclusions. Couldn't he just stop being paranoid and take whatever was given to him, because he certainly was in need of the things Haruka had bought?

Thoroughly irritated, he put out the lights and went to his bed, trying to suppress the need to channel his pent up frustration into action. He lay there quite sometime, long after the breathings of the other occupants of the room evened out, but he couldn't get a wink of sleep. Giving up on it, he got up and threw a loose shirt over himself, taking a warm overcoat with him as a precaution. He was going to follow his earlier plan of the night and going to take a dip in the oasis of the city. He was about to leave the room to the dying out flames of the heart, but then stopped.

Returning back to the pile of clothes, he found the long khalat that he had bought for Rin with a pair of new shalvar and a sleeveless shirt. And then he approached the sleeping youth and shook Rin's shoulder none too gently to wake him up.

Startled into wakefulness from his slumber, Rin immediately reacted. He sat up and dragged himself away from his intruder in a flash, his crimson eyes wide and raw with alertness.

“It is me. Don't be afraid, Rin.” Haruka whispered and then to look less threatening, he stood up and walked back a few steps to show that he meant no harm.

Rin's alertness slowly but surely turned into tired exasperation now that he understood that he wasn't in immediate danger. “Now what?” He asked, tersely looking up at the towering brunette. “It is the dead of the night.”

“We are going out.” Haruka threw him all the clothes that he had taken and walked towards the door.

“Now?” Rin hissed. “You must be crazy!”

Haruka was impatient and had a cold, distant attitude as if to assert his position as someone whose orders had to be obeyed. “Get up. I don't have the whole night.”

“Where are you going and what for?” Rin's eyes shifted to the clothes on his lap, as suspicious as ever, which was quite understandable considering his position and the time that Haruka had chosen.

Haruka saw no need to beat around the bush. “To the oasis of the city and you are going to wait on me.”

Rin's eyebrows drew together and his face took on an angry expression. “Wait on you? You aren't my master.” He rebuked Haruka's indirect claim.

Haruka narrowed his eyes down, annoyed. “I saw how you played with the waters of that fountain in the inn. I saw the longing in your eyes when we passed by the city canals and the pool in the town square today. You want to see the oasis, then you'll come.”

Rin felt disturbed by the brunette's observations, but for someone who always watched him like a hawk, it wasn't a real surprise for Rin to be read like an open book by Haruka. Sighing openly to show his reluctance, he glared at the waiting brunette vengefully. “Fine!” He spat.

He got up and covered himself with the overcoat and after checking upon his friend and seeing him awake, he reassured the silver haired boy. “You sleep, Ai. I'll be fine. I just have to accompany him to somewhere and back.”

Ai made it like he was about to get up but Rin shook his head. “It is alright. He just seems bored and frustrated. He can't harm me.” He whispered to the other youth after Haruka had left the room. Ai nodded even though he was vary of letting his elder go at this time of the night alone with the unpredictable, sinister looking brunette. “Please be safe.” He whispered back, biting on his lip and cursing his own powerlessness as he watched Rin go.

Outside, it was pretty cold with a languid but freezing wind lapping around the building. Rin followed Haruka with a shiver that ran through his body, silently cursing the brunette for his bullheadedness.

Haruka quickly made it to the stables and woke the stable boy. The servant did not even look surprised as he shook off sleep and started to ready a horse. Haruka, too, took a harness and went for another horse to get it ready.

Rin grimaced at the proceedings, wondering how on earth was he supposed to ride a horse with his chains.

The stable boy finished his work quicker than Haruka and he disappeared from there only to return with another man in tow just as the brunette finished his work, too.

“Selim, Rin is riding with you.” Haruka instructed and got on his horse, leaving them without even waiting for a bit.

Not understanding how that was going to work, Rin turned around to face the said man who shrugged at him and then manhandled him to the horse's back as if he was a weightless sack.

Finding himself sitting on the animal sideways just like a woman, Rin resisted cursing loudly and willed himself to stay civil to get over it quickly. Selim climbed the horse, too, thankfully at the front and urged the horse to a slow trot.

They rode under the pale moon, the streets silent as the dead and the wind felt as if it touched at their bones and marrows. At least Rin wasn't getting the brunt of it, Selim's large frame was like a shield. But he wondered what kind of craziness it would take someone to decide to take a dip when it was the coldest hour of the night. Yet then again, with that abnormal body heat of his, Haruka had to find the coldness of the water as a lukewarm bath. Rin rolled his eyes at the thought and tried not to lean on the man in front of him with his need of sleep. The rhythmic trot of the horse was lulling and he felt really tired and cold.

Thankfully they arrived at their destination quickly and Selim hauled him down and steadied Rin before he took the horse and disappeared among the thick foliage of the lake as if he never existed. To believe that he had left Rin alone would be idiotic. Selim seemed to be their watch for tonight and Rin shook his head, walking among the nicely smelling shrubs and wild flowers towards the water and the gentle sound of splashes.

To tell the truth, he was quite excited now that he had the opportunity to be near the sole large body of water around. It had been a long time for him, even before his capture, since he had last seen an oasis. Considering the remarkable area that the foliage spread around, this had to be a large or deep lake to be able to sustain a city of this size.

As soon as he reached the damp and loose soil of the shore, he was greeted by the sight of thrown around clothes and a half floating Haruka who was face up, drifting over the water with his eyes closed. His horse was not around and there was no kilij or any other weapons that Rin could see among the haphazardly discarded garments.

Sighing and a bit annoyed by Haruka's selfish and aloof behavior, he approached to the edge of the dark water as much as he could without wetting his shoes. He sat crouching and touched the cool liquid, shivering pleasantly, but smiling despite himself as he instantly came face to face with the arank of the oasis who materialized just before him on the surface of the water. Immediately, the spirit guardian chirped his joy in seeing the red head, talking only for Rin's ears, in a language only Rin could understand.

“King, welcome to my abode! I am honored!”

Rin kept smiling and saluted back in a hushed, nearly inaudible tone, his voice and words sounding like a song in gibberish but meaningful for the spirit who was excitedly waiting to hear them.

“As I am to see you, Nefer's guardian.”

“Please do come closer and replenish yourself.” The arank offered, dancing around Rin in a blue light, his face and features indistinct but his shape humanoid. He was around half a meter tall, like a miniature human male, but that was how the arank preferred to look. Rin knew that the spirit could choose to be seen as an animal of any kind or as a properly portioned human with features that could take on expression.

“It is fine like this for the time being.” Rin replied, not wanting to be in the water when he couldn't even swim in it because of his chains. Also he didn't want it when there were two onlookers who were ready to suspect of anything and everything. Rin didn't want to be found out. It would be fatal for him and Ai.

Disheartened by the reply, the arank hung his head, his behavior openly showing his upset even though he did not have a face. Then as if understanding Rin's reasoning, his head snapped up and his shoulders squared. “Is it because of those?” He pointed to the shackles. “I can break them. How dare they chain the king down? Is it this man who comes and swims here? Is it the man who hides in the bushes? I can kill them and free you, king!”

Seeing that the waters suddenly became alive and started to rise, Rin panicked, his eyes widening at the quick way how violent the countenance of the arank turned even though these spirits were not malicious and were generally peaceful in nature.

“No! No... Nefer, quieten down! I don't want to be found out by these people. They don't know who I am. I have to be careful. Calm down!”

That did the trick as the arank visibly shrank down, his light turning back to its peaceful pale blue and his countenance nonthreatening. These spirits obeyed Rin's words even when they wanted to do the otherwise. “So be it, king.” The guardian nodded and the waters were calm again. But apparently the damage was done because Haruka was looking at Rin with suspicion in his eyes.

“What was that?” He asked, quietly swimming to the shore.

For a panic ridden moment, Rin feared that the brunette might see the arank even though it was impossible. “What was what?” He asked back, trying to pull a look of incomprehension on his face.

Haruka stood in the water and walked up to Rin, who was watching his predatory expression, wondering if the brunette was able to feel the unrest in the water. The arank tensed again, too, getting closer to Rin as if he wanted to shield him. Rin whispered the spirit an order for him to stay calm without moving his lips and cursed himself for approaching the lake under these conditions, bound and not looking at all like the king that the arank had revered him as. Of course the loyal spirit would be agitated by this.

“The water stirred after you came.” Haruka's tone was accusing.

Rin remembered to look surprised by it. “Maybe there is an animal in the waters.” He ventured, hoping that he sounded guileless and unassuming.

“I've swum in this oasis numerous times. That never happened before.”

“So?” Rin asked. “What can I do about it? Dive and see for you if there is a crocodile or a large fish in it?”

Not liking Rin's irritated and dismissive tone, Haruka sighed in exasperation, without showing any signs of feeling cold as he stood there wet and naked save for his underpants. “The water moved.” He insisted. “Literally... as if it was alive.”

“And?” Rin was not about to out himself.

“It happened after you came.”

Rin sighed exaggeratedly and loudly. “Why did you bring me here?” He stood up, too, burrowing deeper into the wool coat. “As if you haven't irritated me enough, you bring me here in the middle of the night and make me listen to your claims about water moving like it is alive.” He side eyed Haruka to show how fed up he was, his crimson gaze catching the moonlight sharply. “Everything is alive, Haruka. But I am about to die here, cold and tired and sleepless.”

His questions evaded skillfully and his attention drawn elsewhere, Haruka tried to stop himself from talking back, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. “Why are you so stubborn, Rin?” He asked, taking a step towards the red haired youth. “Why can't you accept something without creating a big deal out of it?”

“Wait, wait...” Rin chuckled humorlessly. “I am the stubborn one?” It was outrageous. “You are the one who is tormenting me just because I didn't want these clothes. Who is the stubborn one that drags an argument into the dead of the night to this deserted place?”

“I brought you here because I know you wanted to see this lake. I am not stupid, you want to be here as much as I do, so stop whining for once and enjoy what is given to you.”

His mouth going dry, Rin's face twisted into a clear show of hostility. “Given to me?” He hissed. “I would have been a free man and go wherever I wanted if I wasn't enslaved. I would have taken whatever I wanted just like you slave masters do. You think you do me a favor Haruka? You expect me to be thankful for your generosity? Look, it is thanks to you guys that I am like this, watching you enjoy swimming as I stand here and make do with looking on wistfully with chains on my hands and feet.”

“Then come with me.” Haruka grabbed one of Rin's chained hands and began dragging him to where he had shed his clothes and shoes.

Thoroughly taken aback by the brunette's impulsiveness and forcefulness, Rin let himself be manhandled, completely in a trance as he watched Haruka procure a bundle of small keys from his clothes and quickly undid the locks on his feet, forcing him to step out of his shoes in the process. In a flash the brunette stood up and tore away the overcoat from Rin's shoulders and reached for the bound wrists of the red head.

The strange spell was broken by Selim's voice which sounded all too close and on the edge. “Bey, everything alright?”

Haruka stopped, one hand gripping one of Rin's wrists in a needlessly firm way, the other about to unlock the chain, his sharp eyes watching Rin's bewildered ones. “Yes.” He nodded, his tense readiness daring Rin to claim otherwise. “You continue your watch.”

“Yes, sir.” And as soon as Selim's gruff reply sounded, Haruka unlocked Rin's hands and in the blink of an eye, he took off the other's shirt together with the chains, tearing a yelp from Rin's mouth as the healer was forced to raise his arms and bend due to the momentum of Haruka's surprising power.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rin yelled, not caring how loud he was while Haruka dragged him back to the shore with his unrelenting hold on Rin's upper arm.

“Taking you swimming.”

Haruka's smug reply hit him even as he tried to resist the other's pull by digging his feet to the muddy ground. But Haruka had a good grasp on him and he was disoriented and mad with anger, so his struggle finished in the cool water with him sitting in it, shivering violently and cursing obnoxiously under his breath. What was more riling than his situation was finding Haruka standing above him when he opened his eyes and looked up. The other youth was so calm and collected that no one would believe that he had just undressed and dragged an unsuspecting man into hypothermia by throwing him into a lake in the middle of a cold desert night. The only thing that was good about this all was the fact that the arank of the lake was now together with him with a pleased and happy aura.

“Are you satisfied?” Rin asked, hugging his naked arms, feeling how his wounds stung on both his ankles and wrists. He couldn't decide if he was happy for being unbound or miserable that he was cold and wet and tired with the most obnoxious man he had ever met.

“Immensely so.” Haruka was not smiling or showing any trace of smugness at what he had done, but Rin knew otherwise. It seemed like the brunette enjoyed causing trouble to Rin even as he looked as inconspicuous and innocent as ever. It was truly frustrating.

Rin watched the other walk away and dive into the water, leaving him alone with the arank that he couldn't see or hear.

“He freed you, king!” The spirit was happy to see Rin unbound and in his waters. Apparently the arank only cared about Rin's well-being without considering under what circumstances that well-being was achieved. So, there was no need to tell the water guardian that Haruka had been the one who had put those shackles on him in the first place.

Shaking himself to suppress his trembling, Rin stood up. What was done was done, so he walked deeper into the waters and took a deep breath and dove under. The arank followed him, his blue light sharpening and showing Rin the bottom of his abode.

It was beautiful. It only existed for his eyes and every time Rin dove into the depths of a lake or the sea at his home, he felt privileged, honored and refreshed. The coldness of the water bothered him a bit but he had a core of the same kind, in its purest form. He had made a fuss about it earlier but no coldness of any water on this earth could kill him or drown him. It was just a bit unpleasant at first to get his body temperature used to the cold, but he knew that what kept him safe was his healing ability. The damage of the cold and the lack of oxygen was immediately gone as he swam in the waters. His body did it unconsciously, just like his skin never let him get any tan, rejuvenating itself into its original paleness as long as he breathed and had water to drink. And another wonderful thing was he could hear the arank's voice in his head when he was completely immersed into the water. And the spirit could understand Rin without him opening his mouth a bit.

“let me heal those wounds...” The spirit was saying, his small figure one with the water but visible to Rin's eye.

“They are to remain.” Rin refused.

“Why, king? I can feel how they hurt.”

“They'll stay there to remind me of my captivity.” Rin thought, diving deeper and deeper, seeing small fish and water plants and little snakes and where the waters bubbled up, feeding the lake as if boiling from the ground.

“But let me replenish myself, Nefer.” Rin stopped and stayed still at the bottom where not even the moonlight penetrated the silent and dark depths.

The arank's mood elated and the spirit dissolved himself into the water. Rin closed his eyes, letting the power of the life giving liquid fill him and mend his soul. It might have taken only a few seconds but for Rin it felt eternal and he wanted it to never end because, he felt at home while he was in this state. Yet he eventually opened his eyes and powerfully kicked his legs to the surface, hitting the cold air above as he met with Haruka's questioning gaze quite close to himself.

“You know how to dive?” The brunette asked, his eyes betraying something like respect.

“Told you my father was a fisherman.” He pushed his wet bangs back, his heart thudding with newly restored strength. “He used to take me to fishing sometimes. He taught me.”

Haruka nodded at that, a bit wide eyed. Then as if on an impulse, he dove under, too.

Rin raised an eyebrow at that, thinking that Haruka was someone who probably hated falling behind others in doing or achieving something. But not long after, most probably because he couldn't see anything, Haruka hit the surface, shaking his dark head to rid himself of the water.

“Why did you stay so long? You can't see anything in the dark.”

Rin's lips stretched into a half smile at the claim. “There is a huge serpent at the bottom. I went down to meet him.” He bragged with an air of superiority, loving the fact that Haruka wanted something only he had the privilege of having. It was funny in a cruel way to watch the brunette's eyes narrow down in disdain as he turned his head sharply to the side.

 _He deserves it_ , Rin thought, swimming again and feeling the comforting and welcoming aura of the arank all around himself. He crossed the lake from one shore to the other, always aware of how Haruka swam close to him in natural, refined strokes. Rin mostly drifted, in no hurry, but Haruka was so precise, so fluid that it was the first time that Rin had seen someone who seemed like a fish or some other animal whose natural habitat was waters.

Intrigued, he drew closer to the shore where his feet reached the bottom, his shoulders showing above the surface, he watched Haruka. Nefer, the arank, reappeared beside him as if he wondered why Rin stopped.

“He comes here often.” The arank informed him. “I am glad he freed you, king.” It was apparent that the spirit welcomed the brunette because he thought that Haruka had served his king by unchaining him.

“What does he feel like, Nefer?” Rin whispered as he watched the other swim in finesse.

“He loves the water. He respects it.” The spirit truthfully spoke. “But he is too warm.”

That piqued Rin's interest. “Warm? Why is that an issue?” He knew that the spirit was talking about the other's abnormal body heat.

“Not like any other person's heat...” The arank danced around Rin. “When he comes here, he feels like his heat will boil all my waters.”

Rin's eyebrows shot up and he looked on the swimmer in clear surprise. “Is it a malicious feeling?”

“No.” the spirit replied immediately, his answer contrary to what he expected. “If I had felt threatened, I'd drown him.”

Completely shocked by the spirit's admission, Rin turned his attention to the arank. “Why?”

“Because he has a dormant power and it doesn't feel even a bit like yours.”

Disquieted by the information, Rin wanted to ask more, but suddenly Haruka was before him with a concerned look in his eyes.

“You look paler than usual. Are you that cold?” He asked.

Rin blinked at the question and shook away his stunned expression. “It is just... yeah, a bit...” He lied, wanting to be left alone, wanting to ask the arank more. But Haruka suddenly decided to be a gentleman and he approached him, his hand outstretched as if he wanted to touch Rin's forehead.

Rin forced himself to remain where he was and let the other do what he intended to do, wondering how his touch was going to feel. And to his astonishment, Haruka's hand felt like at the temperature of any other person's. Now that he thought about it, when Haruka had dragged him to the lake, his skin had not burned him either.

“You feel quite cold.” The brunette said. “But you don't shiver anymore.”

Rin smiled nervously, averting his eyes and stepping aside to break the contact. “You make me walk around all day under the sun and then without letting me get a wink of sleep, you brought me here to freeze. Cut me some slack, will you?” He resisted hugging himself now that he certainly felt the effects of stopping moving.

“I did this for you.” Haruka confessed, drawing Rin's attention back to himself. “I could have come here alone but I wanted you to experience this.”

Rin blinked owlishly at the brunette's admission, unable to find anything to say to it even though he had felt quite irritated and upset with the other youth earlier.

“Is this your way of apologizing then?” Rin wondered loudly, surprising both Haruka and himself with his question.

The immediate, almost reflexive way in which Haruka's eyes first widened and then narrowed down before he turned his head away was quite amusing to watch, but Rin successfully controlled himself before he'd laugh and possibly offend Haruka. Even though the brunette refused to answer, it was enough testimony of his intention for Rin and for the moment, he decided to not think much on it. He had a more important concern now and Haruka's presence was deterring him.

“You should get out. There are extra clothes for you.” Haruka offered to dissipate the weird atmosphere around them, but Rin quickly refused.

“No, no... I want to do a few more laps.”

Haruka was looking at him now, his eyes doubtful as if asking, _are you sure?_

“Because I don't know when my next opportunity to swim will come...” Rin tried to explain.

Haruka looked convinced and let him be, swimming away, leaving him alone with his questions. Without losing time, Rin dove under the water and the arank followed him. “What is he?” Rin asked in his mind. “What power did you talk about?”

The arank swam around him in uncertainty. “He is human, just like you, king. But I don't know what kind of power he has. All I know is that it is dormant and he has a lot of it.”

That did not help Rin at all and he did not have anyone else to ask about this.

“King, as long as he respects water, he is harmless.” The spirit assured because he could read how troubled Rin was feeling.

Realizing that he was agitating the guardian with his trepidation, Rin tried to relax and swam, hitting the surface. He put all his power into his stroke and swam as fast as he could from shore to shore until he felt his muscles burn with the pain and the warmth. Then he slowly turned back to the shore where Haruka had made them leave their belongings. He stopped and whispered to the spirit of the lake in salutation, thanking the guardian for letting him use his powers and swim in his lake.

“It was an honor, king. Please do come again and visit me.” The blue spirit bowed to him in reverence and Rin nodded to him in return as the light that only he could see dissolved back into the waters.

Rin walked back to the thick foliage, the wind hitting his naked body cruelly and making him shiver violently. He found his old shirt and threw it over his head and got rid of his soaked shalvar. He put on the things that Haruka had made him carry here and just as he was drying his hair, Selim appeared with the chains in his hands and waited for him to finish dressing. Rin wore his shoes and held his hands to Selim, their night watch quickly reattaching his shackles. Rin could hear Haruka moving behind him as his guard crouched down to lock his feet, too. The brunette was particularly loud as he got dressed, most probably to remind Rin that he was there and he couldn't escape.

Rin resisted snorting at that, thinking that he was being underestimated. Had he wanted, he could have drown Haruka and let the arank kill Selim to run away with one of the horses. But he not only hated harming and killing people but also Ai would be left behind and that was something he'd never do. Ai was one of the few who grew up with him and he was like family who had stood up to many hardships with and for him. He could never leave him because he knew that unless ordered to do so Ai would never leave him either.

When Haruka was ready, too, Rin turned around and gave one last glance at the beautiful lake and let Selim help him get on their horse. They rode back in silence, Rin mulling over what the arank had said to him. But since he couldn't ask directly to Haruka, there was no way for him to learn more. He had to set this matter aside until he'd have another chance with a water spirit, though the possibility of it was quite slim.

His trembling returned full force and to distract himself, he watched the night sky. The moon had disappeared long before they had left the lake and the inky darkness had only the stars to illuminate it a bit. Rin guessed that there were still a few hours left before the daybreak and he'd have to spend the next day half asleep because of Haruka's impulsive need to swim with him.

He was complaining, but in fact, he was a little thankful, not that Haruka had to know about it. He got to meet the spirit of the lake, got to replenish himself and swam freely without his chains. It had been a good experience and if only Haruka would stop being a jerk about certain things, Rin would have claimed that the entirety of today had been planned for him to forgive and forget.

Haruka could have asked for a list of the things for the remedies, he could have let him eat whatever the servants were given at the house instead of spending money on that breakfast. He could have given him plain water instead of that fancy fruity drink that he had ordered by the jar. He could have made someone to pick up their clothes instead of personally choosing them and he could have gone to the lake alone. All these would have caused less headache for the brunette, but Rin could never be certain.

Finally, when they reached the house, all Rin wanted was to lie down and sleep. He was frozen to his marrows but he refused to use his core energy to warm himself up. He had to preserve it because one could never guess what the future held.

He entered the room and without even waiting for Haruka or shedding his overcoat, he wrapped himself around his velvet cover and snuggled to his pillow near Ai. The said boy stirred into wakefulness by the slight movements and the sound, and after seeing Rin safe and back, he went back to sleep, too.

The next day, Rin did not even remember when he had fallen asleep. The only thing he knew was the bright and warm fire that burned in the heart and the second velvet cover that he woke up with, spread over his frame, soft and comfortable.

_TBC..._

**Suvkis:** Literally _, water girl._ Mermaids in ancient Turkic lore.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:**   _Everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Thanks for making me feel that I am not alone here and there are people who enjoy this enough to leave a few nice words. You make my day. This chapter is for all of you. Thank you._

**Chapter 6**

Alone in the room with Ai, Rin was looking at their breakfast tray with a bleak expression, his eyes glazed and unfocused. As usual, he wasn’t eating much, worrying the younger boy. Ai was covertly pushing the milk towards him, hoping to persuade the other to drink it with maybe a few morsels from the bread and the cheese. But when Rin was sleepless or tired, he ate less and less. Knowing the reason why Rin was like this did not help, but what his elder had told him about his talk with the arank of the oasis was quite the news.

Both him and Rin had already guessed that the brunette had something fishy going on about him, but honestly, neither had any idea about what it could be. All Rin could think of was the fact that the brunette had a core of fire, and most probably a strong one at that, unusual enough to cause that strange body temperature of his. But in what way this related to being powerful or having a dormant power, Rin didn't have any idea.

People with special skills were not uncommon, nor were miracles. Ai, for example, since as long as he could remember, was able to hear the thoughts and feelings of the animals, most specifically the horses and some other wild animals that inhibited the desert. How he could do that, why he was able to do that, he didn't know, but the skill was said to occur among his lineage in every few generations. Within Rin's circle of friends there were other gifted people like him, too. And even though they had never met one, Ai knew that they weren't the only ones who had similar skills, scattered around the continent. Haruka might be one of those people, too. Maybe his skill had not presented itself fully yet. Since it had got to do something with fire, Ai actually wanted that skill to stay dormant for as long as possible. Because, whatever that skill had to be, it probably wasn't something innocent or good if the ominous words of the arank was considered.

Deciding to not talk more on this subject in case someone might eavesdrop, they finished their breakfast and Ai got ready to leave the room with Rin.

Downstairs, there was neither Makoto, nor Haruka. Instead, Mahir was waiting for them and he took the silver haired boy with him.

Left alone, Rin entered the kitchen area and found the handmaid Mai there. He told her that he needed one of the stoves to prepare his remedies and thankfully the needlessly irate woman went out and left him to his task.

Rin built a large fire, waiting for the flames to settle into a steady and strong burn. He brought in the large bag of herbs and roots and such and found the dozens of small jars stashed in a corner as promised by Haruka.

The kitchen was spacious. There were three tables scattered around and Rin spread his things over the nearest one to the stove before he started with boiling and purifying some water. He realized that he was going to need some paper, pen and ink to label the jars, but that could wait.

He sat down, waiting for his water to boil and tinkered with the ingredients on the table, creating a mental order in which he was going to use them. When his water reached to a boil, he separated it into three more pots, leaving two on the stove and two on the stone counter. He put an ingredient or two into each of them and waited for them to steep or boil. They all smelled wonderful and made Rin smile despite himself. At first, every remedy would smell fine, but as the process continued, it either turned into something completely unrecognizable or deceptively nice and clear as if it was a perfume, concealing a bitter taste. Too bad, most of what he was going to concoct was going to look dark and murky with a not so good taste. It wasn't said for nothing that medicine was bitter and poison was sweet. In most cases it was true.

For a few hours, he worked in silence; boiling and steeping, crushing and imbibing and mixing things. All sorts of nice smells drifted out from the kitchen and slowly the jars were filled with golden and earthen colored liquids and pastes all stashed on the counter in an order. He lost himself in what he was doing. He whispered powerful words to the mixes to increase their potency, his mind blissfully occupied with what he loved doing.

“What is it that you whisper to yourself?”

Rin visibly startled and turned around from his work with wide eyes. Haruka was standing in the entrance, head and face covered by that scarf of his, holding one of the jars in his hands and inspecting it against the backdrop of the harsh and bright midday sun.

Collecting himself, Rin's tense shoulders relaxed and he turned back to his work. “Put that back where you took it from. They are ordered so I won't forget to whom they belong.”

But as expected, Haruka did not do as Rin had asked and took another jar and watched how the liquid in it shimmered with the sun light that entered from the open kitchen doors. “What language was that?” He repeated his question, putting the jars back only to take two more to tinker with them.“Mystic words of magic and danger in ancient gibberish to enhance the power of the medicines.” Rin mocked and turned towards the brunette in a flourish, making a motion with his hands as if he was presenting the jars to an audience.

Haruka looked on with hardened eyes, long and unblinking, until he disturbed Rin enough to break his pose and return to his pots.

“Fine...Fine...” Rin huffed. “An old language nobody knows or speaks any longer...” He explained half lying, half telling the truth.

“If no one knows it or speaks it how did you learn it?” Haruka derisively muttered, clearly thinking that he was being mocked or ridiculed.

“I don't know.” Rin shrugged. “I can speak it since I was little.” Now this was the truth. Rin knew it for as long as he remembered and it had been a shock for him when he had found out that no human could speak or understand it. In his ears what he spoke certainly sounded like proper words and sentences, but whomever had listened him speak it had claimed that all that they could hear was unintelligible sounds that meant nothing. Just like the sound of the wind, the falling of the rain or the crashing of the waves meant nothing for human ears.

"Strange...” Haruka murmured right beside him, startling Rin again.

Rin turned towards his left with a small gasp and found Haruka observing the boiling mixture in a pot.

“You were mumbling like this last night, too.” The brunette added.

“I was praising the water.” Rin answered dismissively, cursing the other for being silent as a mouse.

Haruka undid his turban and scooped up some of the paste with a spoon, bringing it close to his nose. “Your people worship the water, right? Just like those on your eastern border...”

“Those people have a name.” Rin couldn't stop himself from uttering, a bit offended by how Haruka talked about the people of Kissaara. “And that medicine is for intestine parasites. It'll give you a nice rendezvous with the toilet if you need to.” He lied.

Haruka immediately dropped the spoon back into the pot and stepped aside.

Rin turned the other way to hide his smile but Haruka was not stupid. He could see how the red head's shoulders shook with concealed laughter and in all honesty, it did not anger him. In fact, he was pleased to see that Rin was well enough to laugh, even though it was at his expense. He simply leaned on against the corner of the stove, now a bit away from the healer and looked on. After a while his idleness had to have bothered Rin a bit because the healer became grumpier by the second. “Have nothing better to do?”

Haruka shook his head. “It smells nice in here and it is cooler than standing under the sun.”

Rin shrugged. “What is so good about watching this? Or do you suspect me of making poison instead of medicine or something?” He asked with derisive mirth, but Haruka answered in all seriousness.

“You'd never do that. I know it.”

The trust that was put on him surprised Rin and he looked back at the calm blue eyes of the brunette with his widened ones. The convinced gaze that he saw in Haruka's eyes really effected him and he felt honored by it as a healer. “How do you know it?” He asked with a vulnerable small smile.

“Because you have no malice in your eyes.” Haruka claimed, his lips settling into a small smile of his own. “Even when you are angry with me, there is no evil in them. Also... It is hard to imagine you using these things to make poison that you touched and carried so reverently yesterday.”

Rin could just look at Haruka's face, tongue tied, a warmth spreading in his chest. The brunette's words struck somewhere deep inside him and all he was able to do was avert his eyes and suppress the silly smile that threatened to spread over his face. He had always thought that the brunette was callous and irritatingly calm to the point of passive-aggressiveness, but when he wanted Haruka could say nice things, too. Rin didn't want to admit it, but he felt touched and liked the feeling that Haruka's words evoked in him. He tried to appear as if he was busy with the boiling mixture before him, but it was hard to do so when the brunette was still watching him as if he expected Rin to say something. So when he turned his eyes at Haruka to thank him, the blue eyed male surprised him with a new question, suddenly curious.

“Isn't it a waste of your time and energy when you can quickly treat people just like you did for me?”

Startled a bit by the fast pace of Haruka's idea of a conversation, Rin scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, wondering what he could say without exposing too much. “This is easier than you think.” He chose to say. “Making these, labeling them, giving them to their recipients... It is a taste of normalcy for me. I like relying on these. Nature is generous and much more potent than anyone of us can ever be. Borrowing its power is easier and much more simpler than using my own.”

Haruka realized that he could relate to what Rin was saying about feeling normal. He wasn't sure about to what extent and at what cost the red head's healing ability went, but people like Rin were rare and he knew how isolated they felt among their peers from his own and Makoto's experiences. Makoto could understand the voice of the plants from trees to the smallest of flowers. It was a gift given to his family which normally presented itself in females. Haruka could still remember the way the people had looked at Makoto when he'd dared to say what he could hear. This was one of the reasons why Haruka had kept silent for as long as possible about how he could manipulate the fire and the rays of the sun, talk to the fire djinns and order around the sun maidens, arinna, to do his bidding. Because his power was something completely elemental, vast and more dangerous than Makoto's innocent skill. He still wasn't sure if he was cursed or blessed by it.

“You ask a lot, but never tell about yourself.” He came back to himself with Rin's expectant voice. “And by the way, that paste you've been smelling... It is for malnutrition, completely harmless and as delicious as it smells.”

Haruka blinked at the pot again and this time he took the spoon and brought it to his lips. Taking a bite from the sticky and sour-sweet thing, he nodded, apparently liking the strange spicy taste. “I want a jar of this.” He scooped up some more and then licked it clean meticulously, unaware of how Rin's eyes widened and then averted at what he had done.

“What do you want to learn?” He offered, thinking that Rin was right in his claim even though he'd normally refuse to talk about himself.

Rin knew what to ask. “You love water, don't you?” His eyes were shining again, catching the light becomingly that drifted into the kitchen.

Haruka nodded, watching two sun maidens materialize and then start to giggle at the entrance. He resisted raising an eyebrow at the girls; his Arinna had always been peculiar.

“How did you learn swimming? You are maybe the finest swimmer that I've ever seen.”

Not caring about how fine he swam, Haruka shrugged. “Swimming is the easiest way of being with the water.” He thought loudly, a bit distracted by the behavior of the golden girls. Without even feeling the need to salute Haruka, the golden maidens were watching Rin, talking among themselves in a tone Haruka couldn't hear from where he stood. It was strange, because even though Arinna were always intrigued by the new people that Haruka had met, it had been a while since Rin had come here, so the girls should have been already used to his presence and ignore him just like they did to almost everyone around them other than Haruka and maybe sometimes Makoto.

“And... And I used to swim in Arda when I was a child.” He tried to focus his attention back to the red head, which was easy because Rin's eyes were full of curiosity now. “That river was the easiest option.”

“That is something if you ask me.” Rin smiled a little and started to fill more bottles with his new prescriptions. “River Arda is deep and dangerous in the middle river basin. Then again, where were you born?”

“In the capital.” Haruka deemed the information harmless.

“So there were already canals and water cisterns in the city when you must have started learning.”

Haruka nodded, taking the spoon from Rin to fill the bottles himself. “How many of this?” He asked.

“Five more.” Rin took the other pot to fill his own share. “You were, what? Two or three years old when the dam was finished?”

“I guess I was three.” Haruka screwed the corks as hard as he could. “I am eighteen.” He added.

Rin smiled again. “You act older. No offense...” He filled a large jar with Haruka's paste and put it aside. “We are the same age.” He told.

“Since when have you been wandering around? You know quite a lot about anything and everything.” Haruka knew that he'd heard it as a passing comment before, but he couldn't recall. His question made Rin chuckle and he liked the sound of it.

“Since I was nine or ten.”

“Young...” Haruka murmured to himself, but Rin caught it.

“Something tells me that you were around that age when you have entered the caravan trade.”

Haruka nodded again, finishing his job and handing Rin the jars. Strangely enough they both refused to talk more about the time when they had began their travels. Haruka did not want to revisit the memories of when he had almost gone blind and Rin wasn't very fond of remembering those times when he had been practically kicked out of his country after his father's death. Even though both had been able to return their homeland from time to time, their stays had never taken long. And truth be told, neither wanted to linger in their homelands for more than what their circumstances permitted. After being shunned away for so long, none of them had been able to create a deeper attachment to their lands other than for their families or friends. It felt cold to see the eyes that followed their every move with fear, awe, and blame in them. Not having to face those eyes was better and easier if they wanted to stay sane and a little bit happy.

“I need some paper and ink for labeling them.” Rin's voice dissipated the silent and heavy atmosphere again.

Haruka hummed and went out. Within a few minutes, he was back with what Rin wanted. Without asking if the healer needed help, he started tearing even rectangular pieces from the paper for Rin to use.

Putting everything aside, Rin screwed the last cork of the last jar and brought out the mixture that he was going to use to paste the paper.

Sitting around the table with Haruka, they worked in a strange tandem as if they were used to doing things together. Rin wrote the names of the recipient of the medicine on the papers and Haruka used the grayish liquid to paste them on the jars in the order Rin instructed him to do. Within half an hour their work was finished.

Rin handed the last large jar to Haruka and seeing his name and instructions beautifully written on it Haruka couldn't help but smile. “I normally don't eat sweet things...” He mumbled, somehow needing to explain himself. The two Arinna at the entrance giggled again as if they knew something Haruka did not. He ignored them.

Rin found the needless shyness that suddenly appeared on Haruka's face as endearing. “But it is also sour and spicy...” He offered, thinking that he was getting better at making Haruka show him different expressions. “But don't eat too much at a time.” He warned.

Haruka gently cradled the jar, nodding. “I'll send the ones who can read here.” He changed the subject. They will give these to whom they belong and explain what is written on them.”

“That would be great.” Rin got up and looked around the kitchen. All the used pots, spoons and other things were heaped aside creating a small hill and Rin grimaced at the dirty dish pile that he had created in a few hours.

“And leave those to the others. Go and have a rest.” Haruka said, taking his jar and scarf, leaving Rin alone in the kitchen.

That was the moment Rin felt how tired he really was. He was a little hungry, too, but the idea of sleeping was nicer. He went out and climbed up the stairs to Haruka's room -unaware of the sun maidens that followed him until the door of the room-. The hard and bare floor did not matter to him as he grabbed his pillow and lay down just like that in the coolness of the well shaded room.

Again, he didn't even remember the last conscious thought he had when he was woken up by Ai. The first thing he recognized was the smell of the food and the second one was the velvet covers that had been draped over his body, keeping him warm and cozy.

Rin groggily got up in the semi dark room and idly thought that this was the second time he woke up burrowed in covers that did not belong to him. “Did you put these on me, Ai?” He asked even though he could already guess the answer. Ai shook his head and looked at him with a question in his eyes, but Rin did not elaborate. His mysterious caretaker was Haruka and Rin didn't want Ai to know this and get upset. In fact, he wasn't so sure about what to feel about the information, either.

“Let's eat, I brought food.” Ai set the tray of nicely smelling dishes between them and Rin slowly began filling his completely empty stomach.

“What time is it?”

“Around seven, I guess.” Ai replied. “The night has fallen.”

“How was your day?” Rin tried to drown the thought of Haruka catching him unawares enough to put covers over him. He felt vulnerable even as he knew that there was no malice behind the action. It was just... because the one who had done this was Haruka. That was why instead of feeling disturbed by it, Rin couldn't place the strange warm emotion that he felt upon the knowledge.

“They have too many animals.” At least Ai's talk was distracting. “Mostly camels but there were some horses, too. I guess there were more than a hundred camels and twenty-five or thirty horses.

“These merchant have quite a large group. It'll be a little hard for us to get away.”

“The animals sounded upset with frequent deaths among them. The caravan is large and rich. They told me that the bandits kill them along with the men as they attack.”

“I wonder if we should feel worried about this, considering that we are completely at the mercy of the others with our hands and feet bound.” Rin mused, his eyes sharpening in distaste. “Though an attack would help us get away in the mayhem of it, being weaponless with chains dangling from us is not the ideal circumstance for us.”

“We can only hope that when that time comes, the best opportunity presents itself, too.” Ai sighed, playing with his food, trying to not look dejected. “If only we have some luck and chance upon some foolish bandits to create the chaos we want.”

Rin sighed, too. Yeah, they needed a lot of luck. But they were in a desert and everything about doing trade or traveling in a desert was unpredictable. Rin just hoped that they'd be able to use that unpredictability to their advantage.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence and then Rin started a fire in the heart to steep tea. As the room got darker in contrast of the light from the fire, they continued talking.

“It is interesting that they give the same meal they eat to the slaves and other servants.”

“These people are quite rich, Ai. All the weapons on their belts have precious gemstones embedded on them. Their workers wear nice garments, they eat and drink well as it seems, though I can't say the same for some of the slaves.”

Ai pointed to the clothes that Haruka had bought for them. “Those things are not what slaves would wear. But Haruka-san is a peculiar one, he must have bought what he'd choose to wear.”

Rin shrugged. “It is not his money that he spends, so I don't think he cares much.”

“The Bey is really something, too. He seems meek and he smiles a lot.” Ai had an uncomprehending look on his face. One would think that he'd be harsher and much more distant. But he really acts like a kind person.”

“Was he there in the stables today?”

“Yes, he came and talked to me, telling me that the animals should be ready in a few days. I guess the transaction that you've told me about is close.”

Rin hummed over his tea cup thoughtfully. “That man is a mystery to me. He has a silent hold over everyone around us. Not the aggressive kind but he is as dangerous as any of them could be. He is too perfect to be real.”

Ai nodded in agreement and their hushed conversation went silent again. Rin urged him to go to bed early since this was the first real day that Ai had spent outside and he needed to rest as much as possible. When he fell asleep, Rin was still awake and sitting by the heart, feeding it with small coal pieces. The flames were the only source of light in the room and the warmth they provided seeped to Rin's core, calling him back to sleep.

With heavy eyes Rin watched the flames dance and thought about where Haruka was. It was quite late into the night now and for any ordinary man out there the best place to be was somewhere safe where one could have a rest or sleep. But Haruka was someone far from one could describe as ordinary. Truth be told, Rin wouldn't be surprised to find out that Haruka chose to spend the night at the lake again. Not feeling the cold of the night or the water had to be a wonderful thing, but Rin could not imagine how Haruka bore with the midday sun when the desert heat would be at its apex. It had to be like a torture, coupled with the brunette's body heat. Rin wished that he could understand more about how that worked, but he had little to no idea about something as extraordinary as this. It was no wonder that he was at a loss of what to do with the meager information that the arank of the oasis had given to him. He just hoped that they'd be as far away as possible from these people before they'd have to find out the truth behind the words of the arank about Haruka. And like that, sitting beside the fire, thinking about the brunette, Rin fell asleep.

He wasn't expecting Haruka to be the first thing he'd see when he woke up upon the calling of his name. He startled a bit, and then cringed in pain at his stiff neck and hurting back.

“You must have fallen asleep like this. You should lie down properly.” Haruka whispered and Rin nodded at him groggily, getting up and turning towards where Ai and he slept in the corner of the room, half blind and half asleep. But after he took a few steps, his feet tangled to the edge of the cover that was falling off of his shoulders and he tripped on it, about to free fall onto the hard floor of the room.

All traces of sleep erased, heart lurching up to his throat, Rin tried to right himself in vain and latched on to the first thing within reach, Haruka. The next thing he knew was that he was in the firm embrace of the brunette, his chained hands sliding over damp, naked flesh of the other's chest and his face in the crook of his neck.

Blinking at his current predicament blankly and in surprise, he came to himself with Haruka's voice and hot breath that washed over his cheek and neck in an intimate way that made him shiver.

“Steady, Rin. It's alright.” The brunette's voice was so low and kind in an understanding sort of way that it was as if Haruka was talking to a small child that he found endearing or to a loved one. Rin jerked back, his heart wildly beating at his ribcage, his face reddening despite himself. He immediately took his hands back, fumbling, not knowing where to put them as they were trapped between their bodies. When his eyes met with Haruka's blue ones, they were regarding him softly with a question in them as if asking if he was alright. Rin tried to desperately step back to create some much needed room between them, but in his clumsy haste he stepped yet again on the edge of the cover that was still dangling from his frame. Haruka steadied him by holding him from his biceps, his touch creating goosebumps all over his naked arms, because Haruka's hands were cool as if he had just washed them.

Within a few seconds Rin's mind jumped among many questions as he tried to avert his eyes from the brunette's only to land them on his naked chest -why the hell was this guy always half naked? And why seeing him like this bothered him? Why Haruka looked normal and calm when Rin's heart was trying to break its cage? And why Haruka was covering him with his own comforters whenever he'd find Rin asleep?

“I put this on you when I came in.” Haruka whispered, yet again halting Rin's thoughts. “Sorry that it became a hindrance.” And his hands glided over Rin's arms, tensing the red head's shoulders, making him forget to breathe as he gently pulled the cover over Rin, wrapping him with it and making sure that he wouldn't trip over it again.

Rin held onto the edges of the cloth that Haruka let go and felt that he had to say something, had to do something to get himself out of the stupid trance that he was in, so he quickly looked away and murmured a reluctant _thanks_ to the unsuspecting brunette and rushed towards his side to get away from Haruka. To his relief, the other let him go without a fuss and murmured back a good night, but in his troubled state of mind, Rin did not even hear him. He turned his back to where Haruka was and burrowed under the other comforter, practically hiding. He listened to his own heart beat as it refused to settle for a while and hugged his arms, soothing the goose flesh with his hands to erase the memory of Haruka's touch.

It was strange. Not only the other's body temperature was normal again just like yesterday, but also being touched by the brunette in that way as if they were friends, as if everything was alright about the situation that they had been in was a strange feeling. Rin hated Haruka for all the while looking completely harmless, calm and innocent as if what he had done was how it usually went between them. And he hated himself for his own reaction, lost and panicked and unable to decide what do do with himself like a child facing something new.

He willed himself to relax, tried to think nothing of this. Apparently, Haruka hadn't been acting out of his way. He had seemed quite nonchalant even when he had spoken so intimately close to him or held him like that, as if liberally touching Rin, dare he say caressing his arms, was something ordinary and usual. If Haruka had acted like nothing was amiss, then it had to be like that and Rin shouldn't dig for some deeper meaning or reason. Haruka had simply helped Rin out of the kindness for a slave and saved him from a painful fall to the floor. That was all there was to it. Clearly Haruka was trying to amend for his earlier behaviors by acting considerate like this. Rin thought that it was a nice sentiment, but he didn't know what to do with it. An indifferent, callous Haruka was simpler to deal with than a Haruka who tried to do nice things for him, who looked at him and talked to him as if Rin was not a slave and the brunette was not a free man who had the power to practically order Rin around.

Rin tried to suppress his sigh and go to sleep, but his body refused him. So he lay there, his mind racing and painfully aware that Haruka was awake, too. Even though the brunette did not move much, Rin could tell from the other's breathing pattern. He wondered what the brunette's thoughts were occupied with to keep him awake and he wondered if Haruka had gone swimming again. The idea of water and focusing on it relaxed him a bit and eventually he fell into a fitful slumber when there were a few hours left to the dawn.

For Rin, the next day was not as busy as yesterday. He went to the animal keeps of the caravan with Ai after they got their breakfast. Thankfully, Haruka hadn't been around and even though Ai had asked him why he looked sleepless and upset yet again, Rin had just complained about working hard the day before. Of course he was aware that he couldn't fool Ai, but he really didn't want to talk about it.

As Ai took care of the camels, he was given the task of grooming the horses. Horses were his favorite and the animals seemed to like him back because they simply stood there obediently as Rin combed and brushed their hide and tails, checking them for any possible illnesses. In fact, Ai was telling him which animal needed what kind of care as he went through his own inspection, finding quite a few camels and a couple of horses needing medical attention.

Rin liked listening to Ai's one sided conversation with the animals. It seemed one sided, but he knew that his friend heard and felt what they needed and felt. They were lucky that whomever might hear the boy would probably think nothing of it.

The stables and the open areas where the camels were kept were busy places. Ai had five helpers whom listened to his words dutifully. It seemed that the younger boy had already earned their respects because whatever Ai told them to do was done as soon as possible.

Being among this many animals was both nice and quite smelly, but Rin and Ai were used to it. Through the four years that they traveled together, they looked after both people and animals; not because they had to, but because they could. One could not believe that someone like Rin would not be bothered by sleeping in a stable with horses or liked helping the births of many foals, lambs and calves. At least, among the people and the animals that needed him, he could forget why he wasn't very welcome in his own lands. At least, when people did not know his full name and the things that were entailed to it, they acted themselves. This was what Rin wanted, but if only he was not enslaved. If only he was free, all would feel right with the world. Yet he had to endure his shackles until an opportunity presented itself.

The whole day, they took care of the animals and Rin helped Ai in easing the ailments of several of them. By now, Ai mostly knew what to do after Rin confirmed whatever illness bothered the animals, so the silver haired boy was capable enough to treat the sick among them.

They ate their dinner and a stable boy steeped them some tea. They watched the moon rise in the inky sky and waited for somebody to come and take them back to the storehouse. But when that someone, Mahir, came, the tall man threw them a bundle of clothes from Haruka's earlier purchase and demanded them to follow him.

Where they were taken was the place that they least expected. It was a bath house and Rin couldn't decide if he should sigh in relief for finally being able to wash themselves or frown in insulted silence that this happened right after they had spent the entire day among smelly animals. Nevertheless, they silently followed the burly man into the pale granite building and found themselves in a room full of naked or half naked men, getting ready to enter the baths or leave. Rin recognized a few of Makoto's men among the faces of the strangers, a few even saluting them. Well, it was nice to know that this whole business was not something arranged exclusively for them. But that didn't stop them from dejectedly looking around as they searched for a spot to wait for some privacy to get ready.

As if he read their minds, Mahir patiently waited together with them and did not undress until at least half of the men either left the building or went inside to the pools and the bathing sections.

“Don't idle anymore.” Mahir approached them, procuring a set of small keys and unlocking their chains. “Get undressed and don't forget where you put your clothes.” He ordered them and honestly, Rin didn't want to join the rest of the other guys who enjoyed the hot water back there. He was a rather private person when it came to sharing baths and such, but he knew he either had to get rid of the grime and dust that bothered him or wait for the others to finish their job, most probably chained down to one of the posts embedded into the stone here in the changing room. He'd hate that.

Now that their hands and feet were free, getting undressed was easy. And thankfully Mahir was thoughtful enough to give them long and thin pieces of cloth that they could cover themselves with. The tall man also gave them fluffy washcloths and a large bar of not so good smelling soap. He nodded for them to go in after giving the keys and shackles to another man to keep an eye on them.

Rin sighed and entered the coolest part of the bath house where there was a pool filled with warm water and several chairs were surrounding it, occupied by people who were either trying to adjust to the heat or having a breather from the hotter inner rooms. He felt a bit surprised when he saw Makoto and Haruka in the pool, talking in hushed tones as they calmly let the water drift them. The two paid them no attention and Mahir led them further in. He got them into one of the less crowded rooms, a square one with a large shallow pool in the middle of it. There were sitting areas on all edges, divided by short marble walls with a basin and a faucet in every one them. People were washing each other using them and Mahir chose a relatively secluded one.

The secluded partition was quite alright with Rin because ever since they'd entered the bathing areas, he'd felt the eyes of other people on them even though they didn't even know who these people were. There were a few of Makoto's men scattered around, but those people didn't even bat an eye at their presence. What was this uncalled for interest in their little group, Rin really didn't want to find out even though he was disturbed by it.

They sat down on either sides of the marble basin and observed the people around them. He shared a look with Ai, and Rin was convinced that he wasn't the only one who thought that they were inspected as if Rin and Ai were from another species. It was quite an unsettling and vulnerable feeling and Rin loathed it.

“I already hate this place.” He murmured for Ai's ears and the younger nodded at him.

“They all looked at you as if they knew you or something.” Ai pointed out and that perked Rin's attention.

“At me or at us?” his tone was a bit chastising and Ai looked uncomprehending as he confirmed.

“They were all looking at you, Senpai.”

Rin thought back and, yes... Ai was right, the eyes had been mostly on him and this new revelation disturbed him more. His face immediately turned sharper, showing his discomfort. “Let's get clean quickly and get out of here.”

Nodding, Ai turned on the tap and filled the basin.

Elsewhere in the cooling room, Makoto was watching Haruka do short and quite possibly dissatisfying laps in the pool. He was sitting on a wooden chair, quite comfortable, and drinking sherbet as he waited for his friend to get his fill and hopefully get out of the pool before he turned into a fish. He could understand that Haruka was depressed over the fact that they were about to cross half of the desert for their next destination, but tonight was the third consecutive night the brunette had spent his time in the water. He knew that his friend had brought Rin to the oasis two days ago and tonight he had used the excuse of Rin and Aiichiro needing a good bathing.

Makoto didn't mind being dragged to the oasis or the bath house every few days, because he loved water, too. But he still didn't understand why Haruka had taken Rin to the lake that night. Normally, when he was in the water, Haruka wouldn't be interested in anything else or wouldn't pay attention to other things. The brunette certainly didn't need the companionship of anyone around when he was in water. Makoto only accompanied him because he had to be sure of Haruka's safety. So why had he taken Rin? When asked, the brunette had mumbled something like Rin loved water, too, but who in a desert didn't like water?

Raising his eyebrows in annoyance at his spiraling thoughts, Makoto sipped his drink and listened in on the conversation of the few men around them. It seemed like a couple of men who had just come from the inner rooms were talking about women. Not that he actively tried to eavesdrop, but Makoto could hear some distasteful remarks and he rolled his eyes.

“How can somebody stay so white in a desert, man?” One of them was asking. “That skin looked so soft and supple, begging to be touched.”

The other man leered at his friend's description. “Yeah, I saw that, right? No scars, no marks, no nothing... That has to feel quite nice to the touch.”

The first man nodded at that, caressing his beard. “I am sure it is someone's fuck toy here. He must be flaunting it around for everyone to see.”

Now, that caught Makoto's attention. _It?_ People only talked about slaves as _it._ And that slave had to be here. It rang some alarm bells in his mind, but he tried to disregard them.

“Such red hair and red eyes... I say it must have cost a lot. I'd flaunt it like that, too, it is more beautiful than a maiden!”

Shit... Makoto thought, straightening up and trying to decide what to do, because it was quite evident that they were talking about Rin.

“Walking around with a bodyguard does not guarantee the safety of that fine ass, though.” The two men started to laugh and as soon as their voices boomed in the near emptiness of the room, Makoto saw Haruka getting out of the pool with an intense and hard expression he had rarely seen on his friend's face. He sprang into action, halting Haruka from approaching the two men.

“What do you think you are doing?” He asked in a hushed tone and met with his friend's silent anger that clouded his eyes. But thankfully that question was enough to stop Haruka's bizarre behavior even as the two men went on talking and insulting Rin.

“Mahir is with them and our men are all around. They won't let anything to happen.” Makoto felt the need to reassure Haruka even though he still couldn't believe that he'd see his friend become livid for someone else's sake.

Luckily, the two lecherous men got up and left the room to get dressed and Haruka seemed to return to his usual self. But he headed to the inner rooms even though Makoto knew that he hated the hot and humid air in them.

After a bit of searching, they found Mahir and the slaves about to finish their bathing. Haruka sat down and immediately whoever was there from their men came closer and sat near him. Makoto did the same, thinking that everything was alright now. bBt when he looked at the slaves, it was evident that they didn't feel comfortable and were in a hurry. Especially Rin seemed to be on edge, his eyes darting around as if any moment he expected something bad to happen.

This went on for a little while and Rin told something to Mahir who nodded at him in return and readied himself to get up and leave the room. They took their few belongings and washed the spot that they used just as a group of people approached to the very same place. While the slaves took a few steps towards the exit, a sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard and a young man fell onto the slippery floor, an older man bellowing over the fallen one.

“How can you expect me to take my bath here after those filthy slaves dirtied it all over!”

Many things happened simultaneously before Makoto's eyes. The fallen man started to apologize, Rin's shoulders tensed and he stopped, causing Aiichiro and Mahir to halt, too. The old man who was bellowing at his servants turned and pointed an accusing finger at Aiichiro and Rin and shouted again, making everyone in the vicinity stop and watch the charade.

“Those dirty things must have so many illnesses! Do you want me to catch something from those boy toys? Huh?” A sharp kick to the man on the floor and the servant continued to apologize. But what took Makoto's breath away was the murderous rage on Rin's face as the red head turned around at the insult, ready to rip the accuser's head with his bare hands, but Mahir halted him by holding on his bicep and Aiichiro covered his path as if to stop him from getting closer, but Makoto knew better. Aiichiro was guarding his elder, his stance more than ready to attack if it required him to.

Besides him, Haruka was tense, too, and Makoto wondered who was going to snap first. Their men got up from their seats and slowly approached the trio. But their number did not even intimidate the old man who took the other people's intervention as an insult.

“Who is your master?” He spat. “Filthy slaves like you can never effort the entrance fee here.” Then he leered knowingly. “Unless you are a bitch to some bloody merchant, pretty boy.”

In all honesty, Makoto had expected Rin or Aiichiro to attack the man. If it were him, he would have done so. But suddenly, maybe for a single second, Rin's eyes shifted beyond where the old man stood, as if towards the taps over the basins which were all turned on. Makoto wasn't so sure of it, but in that instant, it seemed like Rin's lips moved as if he murmured something under his breath and then just as quickly, his eyes refocused back to the old man, a dead, chilling look in them. His face cold and expressionless, Rin turned around and started walking away with Aiichiro and Mahir in tow as if he was the leader and the others were his retainers.

Distracted by them, when Makoto's gaze returned back to the ignored and fuming man, he realized that the water flow from the taps were not normal and before he could even point that out, one of the taps gushed like a geyser and water flowed in abandon, sweeping away pieces of soap and wash cloths towards where the old man was standing. And in the blink of an eye, the old man and one of his servants lost their balance because of the sudden rush of slippery and soapy water and fell down onto the hard marble floor with an animal like scream of fear and pain coming from the rude man.

Makoto watched it all with wide eyes as panicking servants tried to help their master and fellow servant up. Surprisingly, the water flow from the malfunctioning tap returned to normal and Makoto realized that no one else seemed to notice the oddity of the strangely timed event other than him. Everyone else watched the situation with either displeasure or enjoyment written on their faces, the strangers quickly losing interest with only Haruka’s men remaining alert. Speaking of which, when Makoto turned towards his friend he was yet again taken aback by the pleased look on his friend’s face as if Haruka was grateful that a tap and some foamy water had done the job instead of him.

“He deserved that...” Haruka coldly spoke. There was a cruel and aggressive glint in his blue eyes as he got up and stalked towards the swearing, angry man who was trying to wipe the blood from his head where he had to have hit when he fell.

The old man looked up, distracted by Haruka and the men taking their guard behind him and when he saw the brunette’s eyes, he halted in his incessant shouting.

“Those slaves you have just insulted belong to me.” His voice was as calm as it was just any other day but his authoritarian appearance was chilling and disturbing. “If you talk about this anymore any longer you might not be able to talk again at all.” Listening to him, one would have thought that Haruka was talking about the weather instead of making threats about cutting tongues and such. But the look of cold and detached lethality that he assumed awed and surprised even his own men, though none of them was able to see his face completely from where they stood. “I hope I was clear enough.” Haruka finished darkly and the wounded man stupidly blinked, nodding his agreement. The brunette turned around and the fuss over the wounded man began anew as his servants tried to stop the bleeding and get him up from the floor. But the old man was in a trance, silently murmuring to himself. “His eyes glowed... his eyes were golden...”

Leaving the commotion behind, Makoto followed after Haruka, but Haruka stopped him from coming further by reminding him that the slaves thought that he was the master and a master surely did not meddle with petty things such as what had just happened.

Makoto shrugged, not liking this a bit, but he desisted from commenting about it for now. He returned to the cooling room and found his spot back, sipping on his drink as he mulled over the things he had seen today.

In the changing room Rin, Ai, and Mahir were all silent. Everyone was rubbing themselves dry, but Rin seemed quite distracted. Ai was watching him with concerned eyes as his elder began getting dressed with the new clothes, in visible hurry as if he just wanted to escape from the bath house. Ai didn’t dawdle, either. He got dressed, too, and Mahir brought their chains back and reattached them.

Haruka entered just then, finding a towel, and told Mahir that he could continue with his bath. Mahir gave the small keys to Haruka and then left. The brunette started getting dressed, observing the palpable need of getting out of here that was evident on Rin’s face. The red head was getting tenser and tenser as people came in and went out of the changing room, so Haruka got ready as quickly as he could to spare him from the torment.

When Haruka told them that they were leaving, Ai immediately realized that somebody was following them, trying to be discreet about it, but failing. Were they concerned about what he and Rin could do with the pent up ire from the bath house? It was ridiculous.

The night was chilly and they burrowed deeper in their coats even though they couldn’t wear them properly because of their chains. Rin looked paler than usual and Ai knew that his elder felt insulted on a personal level even though that man had made those accusations and insults at the both of them. But they had been among too many people and Rin and Ai had to stay put at the old man’s words. More than that, Rin had lost his cool and ordered the arank of the oasis to do that thing with the taps. Ai was sure that currently Rin was also angry with himself for resorting to such an act. He doubted that anyone actually had understood or suspected anything, but it had been a too perfect coincidence. Surely just as they were aware that Haruka had some sort of power, the others had to be on the alert that Rin had something going on, too. It was just a matter of realizing that Rin was more than a healer with a gift. He was something much more unimaginable and while enslaved by the people of their unfriendly and unmerciful neighbor country, Rin had to be extra careful to not jeopardize his real identity.

The tight silence of the group became disturbing as they walked back, but no one seemed to wanting to say anything at all, so Ai did not speak either and hoped that nobody among Makoto’s men would dare to talk about tonight in the future. It had been humiliating enough to endure, he really didn’t want his elder to be subjected to the gossips and taunts of others. He didn’t know if he could handle it or try to break a few bones if anyone dared to hurt Rin more.

Finally they reached to the store house. After taking them upstairs and kindling a fire in the heart effortlessly, Haruka took a few rolls of paper from his locked chest and went downstairs, letting them be.

Rin sat down before the fire and Ai, for not having a better thing to do, started to arrange their sleeping corner, trying to make it more comfortable for Rin. He wasn’t sure if he should speak or stay silent, so he did his job and took the kettle off the heart. He filled it with water and set it on the fire, sitting down in front of it to get warm. Their silence continued as the small amount of water boiled and Ai steeped tea for two, hoping to calm Rin down with the beverage.

The sharp aroma and the nice smell of the tea seemed to help a bit as Rin’s expression slowly changed from unfocused coldness to forlorn regret. Ai was right, Rin was regretting pulling that stunt in the bath house.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Rin whispered, leaning against the wall of the fire place. Ai nodded in understanding. He hadn’t been expecting even this much of an explanation. “Because what I did was stupid.” Rin continued nevertheless.

For a moment, Ai kept his silence, but then he decided against it. “But the look on his face was priceless.” He tried to mimic the angry and shocked face of the old man and then he grinned.

Maybe this was what Rin needed to hear, because soon his shoulders relaxed and he smiled at Ai loop sidedly, too. “Yeah, it really was.” He agreed and drank his tea.

After that, none of them said anything other than wishing goodnight to each other.

The next day was unnaturally silent and ordinary. Rin saw less men from the people of the caravan than he’d been seeing since the day they had been bought. And the men they saw spoke even less than before.

It was irritating, the way the people averted their eyes from him and Ai as if everyone knew about what happened in the bath house and yet did a poor job of ignorance. To Rin, it felt like the men agreed with the sentiment of that asshole in the bath house; that the two of them might be serving for that purpose.

That was absurd, because everyone knew that Rin was a healer who had even prepared medicine for them and Ai was a stable boy who miraculously knew what the animals needed the most. It pained Rin. He didn’t show it, hid it for Ai’s sake, but being labeled like this, even as a doubtful gossip material, hurt and angered Rin to such an extend that he wanted to hurt someone, preferably that old man from last night. But he could guess where the doubt and avoidance took roots from. By now everyone had to be aware that Rin had been bought for a ridiculous amount of gold. It was clear on what kind of slaves that sum of money was spent. The number of people that he had attracted the attention of in the slave market was no coincidence. He had been told numerous times that he was pleasing to the eye. Thinking about it now it was impossible to mot realize the intention of the other bidders, thus Rin was grudgingly grateful that Makoto was a normal person, not a pervert with money to spent. The wrong thing in this equation was the fact that ever since they’d come here, they’d been in Haruka’s room. And in the minds of other men and slaves they could have been doing anything and everything since then.

Rin gritted his teeth, not even hearing the gnashing sound that they made. He didn’t know what kind of a position Haruka held among the men, but apparently it was high, because everyone listened to his words and he had such a fine room in the store house. Ai had said that one of the horses also belonged to him and it was maybe the best one among the animals. Was this counted as being privileged or standing on the equal grounds with the Bey, Rin didn’t know. But Haruka was at least the second in command or the Bey’s business partner. So it had to be normal for him to have a few slaves around, attending to _his needs_. And under these circumstances those slaves were them, Ai and Rin.

There was only one thing to do now and Rin was regretting not doing it before. Even though the damage was done, they needed to have their own sleeping arrangements, preferably together with the servants of the house for the time being. In his eyes, continuing to stay with Haruka even after last night was as good as accepting the claims of that man. This had to be done and surely Haruka would think of this as good riddance, reclaiming his earlier privacy once Rin and Ai would be gone. But he didn’t want to have this talk with the brunette when Ai was in the vicinity. Ai hadn’t seen the way Haruka had acted after their night in the oasis. Rin himself was still unwilling to think deeper about it, he certainly didn’t want Ai to witness it if Haruka would decide to act like a gentleman again. So he waited until he’d find some lone time with Haruka to speak about it.

The opportunity presented itself two days later. In the meantime, Rin helped Ai to treat the ill animals and he saw Haruka only at night before they all went to sleep. The more they side stepped the issue and beat around the bush, the more irritated Rin became as everyone, including Haruka, acted like nothing happened and thus made the situation all the more glaringly obvious and painful.

In the evening of the second day, Haruka came to the stables and told Rin that they needed to visit the inn to see a man who was wounded during a brawl the day before in a tavern.

Haruka looked quite tense and displeased, not even looking at Rin once on their way to the inn. It was as if he really didn’t want to go there or take Rin with him. Rin couldn’t fathom the reason and he didn’t ask. He just followed the brunette and someone took them to the wounded man’s room when they arrived.

The man was young, around twenty something years old, and he was in a pretty bad shape. Rin could see that he had lost a considerable amount of blood and upon getting closer and touching him, he sensed that the wound was going to get infected. It was a stab wound, right under the rib cage of the right side, puncturing the liver. It was around three centimeters in width and six to seven centimeters in depth. The young man had laboring breath and sweating a lot even though his skin was cold.

“How many days will it take to heal him completely?” Haruka asked, crouching besides the unconscious man.

Rin didn’t want to interfere with the natural healing process of the tissues, though he planned to immediately fight the infection before it spread deep into the wound. “I guess I’ll have to see him three days more.” He uttered a moderate time frame. But Haruka shook his head.

“No, you are here only for today. Do the minimum you’d do. You won’t come here to heal him completely. He’ll take care of himself.” Haruka told him with hardened eyes. “He needs to learn a lesson for what he has done.”

Rin raised his eyebrows at that, now understanding why Haruka had been so reluctant to come here. Most probably, this man had done something bad to earn this wound and Haruka was angry at him for it.

Nevertheless, he hadn’t been about to heal him completely, either. It was already frustrating enough to find out that Haruka had an idea of the extend of his healing ability. If Rin wanted he could cure the man within ten minutes but that would drain him when he might not get another chance to swim in the oasis to quickly replenish himself. Otherwise it would take days of fine eating and sleeping to refill his energy and that was currently impossible.

Under normal circumstances, Rin wouldn’t care at all. He had been healing people using his core energy until the last bit of it since he had began traveling. He’d simply find a nice place to stay and rest until he’d feel ready to go again. But here, about to depart for the Desert, bound and enslaved, Rin was reluctant to use even a tiny bit of his energy, in case he might need it whilst they’d try to escape. Mature’s gifts would be more than enough after he would tinker with the core of his patient and lead the life flow to the wound to speed up the healing process. And he did exactly that.

He cleaned himself with boiled water and alcohol and then he disinfected the wound. He mended the puncture in the liver as he was sewing the entrance wound and stopped the sluggish bleeding. The infection traces were destroyed and the only thing that was left was the blood loss and the mending of the wound tissue. Rin guessed that the man would feel alright after a four or five days.

As he worked, the unconscious man never woke up, but his trembling and sweating subsided before he settled into a deep slumber. The occupants of the room did not speak, either, silently watching Rin and obeying whatever demand he’d made as he worked. Haruka sat down with hushed indifference in the corner of the room, but Rin knew better. The brunette had watched him like a hawk, displeasure rolling off of him like a wave. Rin wondered if he acted like this knowingly or not, because his mood was effecting the other men around, tensing them, too.

When he finished, Rin got up and started explaining a man what they should do in the following days and what the wounded man needed to eat and drink; but Haruka cut him off sharply, clearly frightening the others around. “We are leaving, Rin.”

“But I must explain what they needed to do if you want this man on his feet within a week.”

The brunette looked frighteningly dark and sinister when he turned around from his way out. “No, I don’t care about this man any more. He is no longer a part of this caravan. Tell him that he is free to go anywhere he wants.”

Rin watched in bewildered silence as the men all nodded and half bowed to Haruka, uttering _yes sir, as you wish, sir._

“Now, come here.” Haruka ordered him again and for a very impulsive moment, Rin felt an urge to to deny his demand. He was not worried about the wounded man. He knew that the man would be alright. It was just that some vengeful part of him wanted to see where the ensuing argument would lead to. But he decided against it and followed the brunette out, dragging his feet.

It was night time now, the stars blossoming up above in the darkened skies. The inn was getting ready for the dinner time and in that commotion Rin saw two men from the city patrol going upstairs towards the room that they’d just left. Someone, mostly probably Haruka, had to have reported him to the authorities.

“Will you tell me what the hell just went down in that room?” Rin questioned. He was miffed for being used as a rag doll that could be dragged to wherever Haruka pleased without even a bit of explanation. “You prevented a fast recovery for that man with the stunt you pulled back there.”

“As if!” Haruka spat. “I know he is already been healed half way by you. I know the power of your touch.”

Rin gritted his teeth. “That man, regardless of whatever he might have done, had to be healed. I am a healer. I cure people, not leave them half dead!”

The half smile on Haruka’s face when he turned towards Rin was blood chilling. “Even when that man had kidnapped and forcefully taken a woman a few days ago?” He hissed.

Rin was shocked to stillness for a second, but he quickly recovered himself, his crimson eyes glinting sharply with the street lights. “Yes, even then. I’d cure that man so that he could rot in a cell, knowing that he is the scum of this society for as long as he leaves. Not leave him half dead and possibly giving him an easy death and a way out.”

Haruka stopped at Rin’s outburst and his steel blue eyes scrutinized him long and hard as if searching for a lie there. Slowly, his already hard expression turned sour and disappointed. “That kind of chivalric romanticism is the line between who dies and who survives in a desert.” He told. “See where that has brought you to.” He nodded at Rin’s chained hands and turned to his way again, walking away.

Hearing that twisted Rin’s insides ice cold. If he knew that they were alone and not followed by Selim from a distance, he would have attacked Haruka. He really would... Rin couldn’t believe how callous this guy was. Were there two of them and Rin wasn’t aware? Why was this man kind and gentle one day and then turn into a bull headed brute the other day, Rin didn’t know.

“Sorry for not being a pragmatic and vicious merchant like you, Haruka Bey.” He snarled and without even caring if it irked the other or not, he began a deliberately slow walk.

It seemed Haruka chose to ignore the comment, but even if he didn’t like the way Rin tried to stall them, he said nothing and adopted his pace to Rin’s.

For a few minutes, seeing that he couldn’t rile the brunette up into a proper answer, Rin decided that he needed to talk about his real problem. Under these circumstances when the both of them were angry for different reasons, this probably wasn’t a good idea, but enough was enough. “Ai and I don’t want to stay in that room.”

Haruka turned his head and looked at him, apparently not understanding where this came from and how come Rin would refuse to stay in a room with its own bath and toilet in it. “Why, what is the reason?”

Rin kept himself from sighing.”We want to be located to where other servants’ quarters are.” He said, trying to be reasonable, but the answer was immediate and sharp.

“No, you are staying where you are until we leave.” Haruka’s voice left no room for argument, but Rin refused to bend.

“Why? We both are chained hands and feet unlike any other servant or slave of the Bey. We don’t demand to be alone, we want to live where the others live. That’s all.”

“You are staying in that room, Rin.” The brunette did mot even inclined to elaborate why.

“Are we given to you?” Rin asked, his voice had a tight edge, as if he felt physically ill for having uttered it.

That strange tone made Haruka look at him. “What?” He acted as if he didn’t understand what Rin was asking.

“Are we given to you? Were we bought for you, like a... Like a gift or something?” Rin cursed under his breath for being forced to say it like this. But Haruka’s eyes sharpened at what he said.

“No.” He refuted simply. “You belong to the Bey.”

Rin snorted at that derisively. “And pray tell, who is the Bey? And no, don’t give me those eyes, pretending you are just an innocent bystander in all these.”

At that, Haruka looked at him for a moment as if he had been talking to an ignorant kid and just walked away. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Keep walking.”

This dismissive attitude, this indifference as if what Rin was saying was none of Haruka’s business was enough to make Rin mad with frustration. But dealing with this kind of people has never been easy. If someone wanted to act like a stubborn asshole who simultaneously managed to look nonchalant and aloof, then the best approach was to act the same.

“I am not sleeping in that room.” He declared. He saw how Haruka’s shoulders tensed at that, but he didn’t care. If he really didn’t belong to the brunette, then there was no need to give the otherwise impression to the people around. He could be everything, but he had his honor and he refused to be considered as someone’s toy.

That night, after he and Ai ate their dinner, they both went downstairs. Giving back their tray, it was easy to find where the other servants slept. Their room was big, beds lining the one part of the ground while the other part occupied a heart and a table with enough chairs for the two male workers, three guardians and a stable boy. Mai, the sole female of the store house, either slept elsewhere or had her own house nearby.

Ai threw his bedding onto the nearest empty space and they looked around for a spare bed among the heaps of clothes, but there was none. They sat down on Ai’s bed and waited till someone from the servants came into the room. As soon as he entered, the burly man’s face soured. “You are not sleeping here.” He rudely motioned them to get up and get out as if he was dealing with a pest.

“Yes, we will.” Rin challenged, looking directly into the man’s eyes, showing him that he wasn’t frightened by his size.

“You either leave here or you are in for a good fight. Wanna learn what we do to the losers?”

“Oh, you mean what will happen to you when you lose?” Rin knew that he was going too far because the man was quite muscly and apparently itching for some action. Bound like this, weaponless, Rin had little to no chance as another servant entered just then as if something had called him.

Cursing his luck, Rin _tsked_ , not wanting to spend his energy on brutes like these. He got up. “Give us another set of bedding then.” He demanded and to his way a thin bed was kicked. Rin took it without making a fuss. It would be petty to fall to these base provocations, so they gathered their belongings and went to the stables. But the doors were locked or barricaded and it was no wonder by whose order this was done.

Shrugging, Rin chose the furthest spot from the eye and unwanted attention and put their meager belongings side by side on the store ground. This back side of the garden was generally occupied by the servants who leered at them, but at least it was far away from the Bey’s or Haruka’s sight. They leaned their backs on the outer wall which was still a little bit warm and sat down in silence, observing the darkened skies above. As they sat, the small amount of sound in the house died down, too. The night chill was upon them and they decided to sleep in turns, not trusting the suddenly villainous servants of the house. Using Rin’s thin mattress as a blanket, Ai took the first watch, insisting that Rin needed the sleep more than him and Rin curled on the mattress, leaving some sitting space for Ai. They still had the cover Ai had been using in Haruka’s room and truth be told it was quite thin. But Rin didn’t say anything and let his core take over and keep his body temperature right even though he hated using it for this. Yet it was better than having to stay in that room with Haruka.

He slept for a while and as if his body remembered their earlier tandem, he woke up after three hours and let Ai sleep. He made the silver haired boy keep the thin mattress, claiming that Ai’s earlier bed cover was enough. Ai wanted to protest, but Rin did not budge. The younger fell asleep quickly, used to the idea of sleeping outside as long as Rin felt safer and better this way.

Rin watched the skies, listening in on the little to no sound that the city around them made. It was peaceful but Rin knew better. One could only guess what kind of crimes were being committed under the cover of the night’s darkness.

The idea reminded him of Haruka’s earlier behavior. Not tolerating an offender among their group was commendable, but it was also stupid to try to mete out the punishment for that offense when that punishment could be harsher and longer if the offender was kept alive. Rin wondered if Haruka’s idea of justice worked like a tribe man’s. For someone who was born in the capital city of a country like Shalbatana, his idea of justice and morality was pretty vague, wishy-washy as if it could bend and work however the situation demanded for a traveling tribe that had to invent their own code of conduct according to their needs.

Rin hated treating criminals, too. But if he were to start deciding who to die and who to live, he’d go crazy at some point with the amount of power that decision held. And it was even more dangerous for him, because he was practically able to save anyone from anything as long as he could lay his hands on the ill and see that their destiny wasn’t meant to stop there and a spark of life remained. That was frightening him and ever since he had become aware of this power of his, he swore that he’d help the flow of life find its way and not interfere with the destiny’s work even if the patient was a criminal.

He had killed men, too. But unless they had meant to take his life, he healed them back to give them to the authorities.. Haruka could not even guess what kind of self control this required.

He sighed and shook his head, not wanting to think about it any longer. He watched the guards patrol the high walls of the house, watched the moon slowly make its way across the sky before it disappeared from his line of sight. It was calming but also hypnotizing as it was slowly but surely lulling him to sleep. Just as he was bored enough to start counting the stars above, he caught a movement from the corner of his eye. For a moment, he felt afraid, because he realized that the person, whoever it was, was coming towards them as quietly as possible. Vulnerable like this, he kept still, pretending to be sleeping, thinking about what he could do if somebody would dare to attack them. This was a small probability but tonight he had witnessed the hostile attitude of the servants himself.

The person approached towards where they were huddled together and Rin patiently and nervously waited for something, anything that might come from their uninvited and unwanted guest. Careful and light steps stopped near Rin as Rin’s heart hammered against his ribcage, and in a sudden movement, during which Rin managed to miraculously keep himself still, something soft and warm fell onto his shoulders smelling in a familiar way.

Now having a pretty good idea about who was crouching before him, Rin debated whether to continue pretending to be asleep or open his eyes and confront his intruder. Nimble hands gently arranged the thick cover around him and Rin was reminded yet again of how kind and thoughtful could Haruka become if he wanted to be. He kept his eyes closed wondering what the brunette might say or do next, but even though the hands disappeared, the presence of the other did not move before him as if Haruka was sitting there and watching him sleep. For some reason he couldn’t understand, the idea of being watched and guarded by Haruka while he slept made Rin’s heart skip a beat. Frustrated by that feeling, he opened his eyes and his eyebrows drew closer in annoyance.

“Instead of coming here to guilt trip, you could have let us sleep in the servant’s room or the stable.” He harshly accused.

Haruka’s eyes had a glint of amusement in them as he regarded Rin from his crouching position. “I was wondering when you were going to open your eyes.”

At that, Rin _tsked_ and turned his head away, burrowing into his new velvet cover. “Why are you here? Trying to console your conscience by donating a blanket to the slaves?”

Haruka’s answer was a few seconds late as if he tried to find the right things to say. “You didn’t need to leave the room, Rin.”

“And you didn’t need to lock the stable doors or warn your servants, Haruka.” He looked into the dark eyes of the brunette pointedly and accusingly, but there was a self assured conviction in Haruka’s eyes which seemed unbreakable.

“For your information,” He began, “I didn’t say anything to the servants and I wasn’t the one who locked the stable doors.”

Rin’s eyes widened.

“Left alone unchecked, our men can be pretty cruel and indifferent to the outsiders like you. They don’t even know where you are from. Two or so weeks are not enough time to earn trust and people don’t trust you here, your life is in danger.”

“So you are insinuating that you have been protecting us since the day we came here?” Rin was incredulous after hearing Haruka’s reasoning.

As usual, Haruka did not directly answer to that. “We were planning to give you two your own tent, albeit a small one.” He shrugged and got up to stretch his legs.

Some unexplainable need told Rin to got up, too, because he didn’t want to end the conversation. He slowly stretched, minding to not make too much noise with his chains. He was aware that Ai was awake now, but he didn’t want to continue talking about this in his presence. “Ai, I need to talk to Haruka for a bit. I’ll be back quickly.” He whispered to the silver haired boy and saw him nod his head.

Haruka took the lead and brought Rin to the front garden where the palm trees and the marble fountain were. He sat on an empty chair near it and began looking into the water that filled the large bowl.

Rin sat on the edge of the fountain for the lack of having a better spot to rest.”Then why did you act so terse when I told you that I wanted to sleep somewhere else if you were already planning to give us our own space?”

“You are safer among the caravan men, they respect you, especially after those remedies you’ve sent them.” Haruka shrugged, dipping dis fingers into the cold water. “But I can’t guarantee anything here.” Which was a lie, but Rin didn’t need to know that. “You two have a lowlier position than them. Technically, they can order you around however they want. The Bey leaves the management of the slaves to the older employees or servants. In their eyes, you are nothing here.”

Rin sighed at the harsh description of their situation. “Wow, thanks. Hearing that did wonders to my mood.”

“You asked and I don’t sugar coat things.” Haruka dismissively averted his eyes. “You two could have waited to have your own privacy for a few days longer, but you chose this.”

“This is not the first time I spent the night under the stars.” Rin bit tersely.”You think I am some wuss who can’t even support himself, don’t you?”

Infuriating Rin further, Haruka silently regarded Rin as if he was reevaluating him about this matter.

“And you think I am some ignorant fool who can’t see that you have seen and done more than you let on.”

“That same subject again.” Rin huffed and refused to continue that line of thought. Haruka did not pursue it, either, because he was the one actively trying to keep things from Rin. Considering that, he had no right to judge the other, even though it didn’t mean that he couldn’t be bitter about knowing that. Rin had his secrets, too.

“But stop there for a second. What did you mean by having your privacy just a moment ago?” Rin raised an eyebrow in question, irked by Haruka’s choice of words.

Haruka looked thoughtful for a moment, as if he was considering whether he should say his next words or not. But he began talking nonetheless. “I know you are bothered by the incident at the bath house.” He said and to his surprise Rin saw a flash of anger pass through those cold eyes as Haruka tried to distract himself and Rin by making splashing sounds on the water’s surface.” But I guess instead of what you fear, people might be thinking that you and Aiichiro are an item.”

Rin’s eyes widened comically and he loudly snorted at Haruka’s claim.”Me and Ai... Having our privacy.... What the fuck?” He babbled and totally missed how Haruka didn’t even seem to be bothered by the notion. “Man, he is my brother...” He shook his head in utter dismay. “Not by blood but we grew up together, we protect each other, and we survive together. You certainly can understand that...”

Haruka nodded solemnly, he clearly did know what Rin meant thanks to Makoto’s existence. And no, there wasn’t anyone who might think like that about Rin and Aiichiro. He just wanted to satisfy his ego by dismissing the doubt. And Rin’s disgusted look was more than enough. “Don’t worry.” He reassured. “I’ll warn everyone and they won’t bother you again.”

“I'd rather sleep among the camels than hear anymore about this shit.” Rin vehemently shook his head and cursed under his breath. Again he wasn’t aware how Haruka was trying to suppress his smile. He looked up at the sky and tried to disperse his dark thoughts in its darker depths. He realized that there was a few hours left to the day break and he sighed. “I hope you are aware that you have been costing me some precious hours of sleep recently.” He complained without any real bite in it.

Haruka’s eyes warmed with the same glint of amusement from earlier. “Wasn’t my intention.” He amended. “I just saw that you didn’t take your blanket or pillow, nor the clothes that we have bought. I thought you’d be cold.

Rin grimaced at that, but mostly at himself. “I was angry with you, I didn’t want them. Taking them defeated the purpose.” He confessed.

Rin's childish reasoning and the way how he begrudgingly accepted it was so endearing that Haruka felt his face melt into a smile, but he controlled himself to avoid making the red head feel self conscious. “Then have them from now on. Have a proper set of bedding. In a few days you’ll need them more.”

That reminded Rin something and emboldened by Haruka’s talkativeness, he asked. “When are you going for the next town?”

Haruka kept playing with the water, but he was only looking at Rin now. “In two or three day’s time. Your friend says that the animals are nearly ready. We’ll pack half of the goods and set out earlier together with another caravan. The other half will catch up with us on the way.”

“Why the haste? Why not wait for the others?” Rin didn’t understand.

“Because the Bey thinks that having our group as a vanguard is a good idea.” Haruka didn’t want to elaborate. “And I want this to be over with quickly.”

Haruka’s personal reason made Rin’s eyebrows rise. “As long as there is water somewhere you are entertained enough to stay somewhere, huh?”

Haruka wished it was as easy as Rin put. He was constantly afraid of staying somewhere too long to turn that place into an arid wasteland just like how Shalbatana had been during his childhood. He’d never endanger the lives of unsuspecting people in a random town or city just because there was an oasis or lake or river there. He knew that his presence eventually caused the disappearance of whatever water body was at where he would stop for a year or so.

A sudden look of melancholy washed over Haruka’s face and it wasn’t something Rin expected to see upon his comment. But after seeing that, Rin did not pursue the thought, thinking that he might have stepped on a sore spot. To change that look of hurt that bothered him, Rin asked more. “Where is the next destination of the caravan?”

Haruka seemed to hesitate for a second as if he really didn’t want to disclose the information. “To the south. We’ll cross the Desert.” He answered in a roundabout way.

Rin didn’t like this a bit. The secrecy around their next route aside, he really didn’t want to go further to the south into the heart of the desert. Even though Rin knew them by name, he had never visited the cities in the desert before. He had mostly been traveling the countries on the shore of the sea and their southern neighbors on the west and east, avoiding the desert, because the population was small and the settlements were distant from each other. Not to mention that the Herdesherr Desert was a dangerous place for lone travelers, home to the bandits, lawless people and every kind of scum that was on the run from the authorities.

But the most important problem was finding water resources and Rin hoped that these people knew where the major wells and oases were located in the south and create a route following them. It came naturally to Rin, finding where the nearest alive water flow was, and left alone, he could follow them up to the point where they reached to the surface. But those places were generally the epicenter of all kinds of people. Water was too precious in the desert and some people tried to monopolize the resources and either charged the travelers highly for money or outright killed them to get rid of potential trouble. Authority was loose around places like these and they generally did not want to be cross with the tribes that monopolized the water resources.

Rin couldn’t decide what he hated more. “I wonder how you are going to manage this.” He murmured in clear dismay, because he had the same concern for himself, too.

“I have e been traveling around these lands since I was eight, Rin. I managed to survive to this day.”

“As I have.” Rin started to play with his shackles. The one on his right hand was giving him trouble. “But then I was free.” That forlorn expression was on his face again. “I don’t even know if I can fight properly like this when someone decides that he wants a share from the fortune that you plan to carry around.”

Haruka watched him as Rin scratched at a sore and red spot on his wrist, totally unaware of what he was doing to himself. It looked so painful that Haruka cringed internally at the sight. Even from where he sat, he could see the accumulating wounds that the chains created and reopened each day, each minute. “Few are foolish enough to dare to do that.” He spoke assuredly, but he was unable to look elsewhere from those pale hands.

Rin chuckled at that humorlessly. “That desert is the nest of exactly those kinds of fools and I am sure many of the wells are either ambushed or surrounded by them.”

“That’s not so easy.” Haruka refused. “You have no experience further south, do you?”

Rin stopped itching at his wounds and swore silently when he saw that his fingers were bloody now. “No, I don’t.” He admitted tersely. “Why would I go where there is less people to cure yet more trouble to evade?”

Haruka nodded at that, finding it reasonable. “You say nice things about healing people and such, but those wounds still remain.” He pointedly looked at Rin’s hands

Rin’s eyebrows rose at the comment, immediately hiding his hands with the thick velvet cover, even though he hated bloodying it. “That’s my business.” He grimaced and faced the opposite direction in annoyance.

“Why? If your hands and feet get infected don’t you know what happens to them without properly curing the wounds?” Haruka asked, suddenly incredulous and a bit angry.

That tone of voice piqued Rin’s attention and he faced the brunette to see if he heard him right. Haruka had an incredulous and accusatory look, and it angered Rin. But for some reason, he could only laugh at the rare display of emotion.

“They’d go gangrene and have to be cut?” He questioned without actually waiting for a reply. “And please tell me what does it matter to you if a slave loses his hands or feet?” His eyes were serious but his lips were twisted into a mirthless and tight smile.

Haruka looked at the red head with hard eyes and then his expression softened without him being aware of it. “Give them to me.” He demanded, nodding at the hidden hands.

Rin’s countenance changed immediately. He burrowed further into the cover and instinctively leaned a bit back, his face losing the anger; instead, it filled with trepidation, suspicion and fear.

Seeing that on the red head’s face was a hurtful experience for Haruka, but he didn’t dwell on the feeling. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He tried and held out his hand, waiting.

Rin didn’t know what to do. The impulsive brunette always demanded things, always had his reasons. And he felt offended to hear Haruka’s promise. “If I was afraid of being hurt, I would have already healed them.” He narrowed his eyes down at the waiting hand and then at Haruka’s infuriatingly calm blue eyes.

“I know you don’t fear pain.” Haruka agreed. “I just want you to know that inflicting you more of it is not my intention.”

There was such a reassuring, confident look in those eyes that Rin huffed in surrender and gave him the hand that he had been scratching at. But contrary to his expectation Haruka’s hand did not burn him.

The brunette held onto that hand, upturning it and inspected the edges of the metal where it dug into the pale flesh. He reached into his shalvar’s pocket and procured a white piece of cotton cloth and dipped it into the fountain. Then he began to clean the blood as gently as he could.

Rin watched him with wide eyes, silent and still as Haruka almost reverently cleaned the wounds. “What are you doing?” He asked, feeling the unusual warmness of those hands flow to him, spreading over his skin, crawling up his limb intimately. He felt his cheeks color at the feeling, thankful that it was night time. He couldn’t take his hand back to not draw the brunette’s attention, so he let the warmness sooth him like a fur blanket in a cold night.

“I would care, Rin.” Haruka brought him back to the now, answering Rin’s earlier question. “If you were to lose these hands, I would feel as if I’ve lost my own.”

Rin’s mouth slowly fell open at that in a show of pleased disbelief. The emotion was so strange that water collected in his eyes and his heart picked up speed. “That’s a lie.” He weakly voiced his doubt even though he was really touched by Haruka’s admission.

“No, that’s the truth.” The brunette took Rin’s other hand and gently cleaned it, too, without looking up at him. “These hands work, they never tire. They make, not destroy. They keep people alive without discriminating them.” Here a small self derisive smile appeared on his face. “They give life. Thus, they matter... So heal them, Rin.” And he looked up only to meet the greatly upset face of the red head.

Rin was watching him with emotion swimming in his eyes, shimmering like liquid stars. The moment he blinked, a tear fell from his left eye and with a furious movement he broke their contact and wiped away that tear and the others that followed it. He turned around half way, hiding his hands again, not looking at Haruka. “After putting these chains on me with your own hands, saying all these...” His voice broke even though he tried to keep it steady. “Really, Haruka... It was a nice sentiment. You can talk pretty sweetly when you want.” He half smiled and half snorted, but the effect of it quickly waned as another involuntary teardrop fell and was viciously wiped away. “I won’t heal them and don’t worry, they won’t get infected.” He bit his lip in self abhorrence, because he thought that he had let the brunette make him feel vulnerable again.

He stood up and without looking back, he stepped towards where he had came from. But Haruka quickly got a hold of him from his elbow and in a flash Rin was whisked towards the brunette. This time Rin didn’t resist him and let himself be manhandled. His wet eyes met with concerned blue ones. Haruka’s face was painted with a mix of regret and worry. He clearly didn’t know what to do or say, his expression was that of desperation. At another time, Rin would have celebrated himself for putting all those emotions there, but not now.

“If these hands were as valuable as you’ve claimed, you’d unlock these chains, you’d let me be free.” He soullessly gazed into Haruka’s eyes as if all fight was drained from him.

Haruka could only shake his head. “I can’t do that.” He whispered.

Rin was expecting that answer. Haruka was not the Bey, he could not free some slaves and waste the Bey’s money.

“Then those words...” Rin shrugged harshly and made Haruka let him go. “Unless I am free and we stand as equals... They are meaningless, Haruka, they are just empty sentiments.”

And without another word, Haruka was left alone there, standing by the fountain with a lost look on his face. He grabbed onto the edge of the fountain, his hands in the water. How he managed to make Rin cry yet again, he did not understand. All he knew was that whenever he saw those tears in those eyes, he wanted to destroy something.

He wasn’t even aware that the water in the fountain was boiling.

 -

  _TBC..._

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**  
  
After the night that Rin and Ai had to stay outside, their days became busier.  
  
Rin was given the task of helping the men who were making balanced packs out of the silk stored in the underground rooms of the house.  
  
They were bringing the rolls of fabric up from the underground depository to unroll and inspect them for any damages. Then they let them air a bit under the sun and refold it to pack it with others tightly for the camels to carry. The bundles weren't going to be opened until they would reach their destination, so they had to make them sturdy enough to endure the long way and the harsh elements out there.  
  
It was tedious work but Rin liked working with the fabric rolls. Their colors were bright; they miraculously did not smell damp or foul even though they were kept underground. The rolls were in quite a good condition and he could easily say that they were about to carry around a fortune in the desert. He highly suspected that the person in the Customs who was going to sign the papers for this would shut up about it and not sell the information. But it wasn't Rin's concern as long as it would mean that he could find an opening and get away. His sole concern was whether he could escape or whether he could survive an attack unarmed if the worst would happen.  
  
Clearing his head from the dark thoughts, he concentrated on his job, enjoying the feeling of being able to use his hands freely. Haruka had apparently left the keys of his shackles to Selim this time and even though the blue eyed youth was not here, he was surrounded by ten of Makoto's men and the guardians of the house. They had to have thought that Rin would be manageable even when his hands were free, so here he was, his hands unchained.  
  
With the lack of the shackles, his terrible wounds were all the more obvious. Some of the men even pointed that out, asking him why they did not heal when Rin was such a talented healer. Rin, still sour and sad because of the night in the garden with Haruka, just told them that he healed the wounds but the chains inflicted them again. Though his core would heal the discolored, weakened and sick skin if Rin would let it, he consciously kept his own life flow from mending the scar tissue. He wouldn't be infected, just as he had said. He wasn't willing to lose a limb or two due to his own stubbornness, he made sure of that. But as long as he was a captive, he wasn't going to heal them.  
  
He was aware that he had hurt Haruka's feelings that night, accusing him like that, as if Haruka was the one responsible for all these, but he couldn't help it. His ire was towards those bandits and slave traders, yet Haruka was the closest and easiest person on whom Rin could pour all his frustrations. He had to have shaken the brunet so much that today Haruka had given the keys to someone and let Rin work with delicate material like this as an excuse for unlocking his chains for him to not damage the silk. Rin could have been simply ordered to carry the rolls and the packs around instead of this, but Haruka was sincerely trying to amend for the tears of that night. Rin didn't know if he should stay angry or forget it and mull over why Haruka was trying his best to please him, look after him and create a truce between them. He wondered if it was wrong to liken Haruka's hands to these silk fabric pieces, because that night Haruka’s touch was like this; feather light, gentle, and warm in a pleasant way, not burning and claiming. And the night that he had prevented Rin from falling... That night had been like that, too.  
  
Even though the memory of those hands sliding against his skin caused color to rise in Rin's cheeks, he firmly believed that it came naturally to Haruka, this kindness, this gentle aura, those sweet words, warm eyes and soft touches... Rin had met all sorts of people even though he was young. He could recognize maliciousness and ill intend concealed under kind eyes and deceptive smiles. Yet Haruka had none of them. His eyes were bare; his emotions, even though he rarely chose to show them, were true and undecorated. What Haruka did or said, he really meant them and this both amazed and bothered Rin.  
  
If Haruka had been a shameless liar, it would have been easier to stay angry with him. Then the brunet's actions and words wouldn't have busied Rin's mind and he wouldn't have had stupid thoughts like comparing Haruka's touch to silk, admitting that he liked the warmth that spread over his skin from those hands, that he liked it in a perhaps vengeful way when those cool eyes had regarded him with a mix of panic, regret, worry and care.  
  
Rin scolded himself for feeling this way about the brunet, but there was no denying that it was getting harder and harder for him to hold onto his misdirected ire to justify his negative perception of Haruka. He knew he was simply being childish, but this was the only way he felt himself safe against what Haruka was knowingly or unknowingly trying to make him feel.  
  
He huffed and continued refolding a flower printed piece of silk, turning his attention to the laughing and joking men who tried to have some fun while working under the sweltering sun.  
  
By noon, they had finished nearly half of the work, neat bales of valuable fabric stashed on the corner of the front garden, waiting to be saddled onto the camels.  
  
They were called to have their lunches and drinks. As Rin ate his share in a corner under the shade, Haruka came into the house with someone in his tow. The brunet walked past him, his eyes lingering on him, a bit widening. Even though Rin did not understand the reason of the other male's reaction, he pointedly kept his head high, refusing to be the one who'd avert his eyes. But apparently, Haruka's mind was preoccupied because he turned his head away, barely acknowledging the salutations of the men around who were sitting and eating their fill.  
  
The brunet and his guest directly went towards the main building's shade where there were a table and some chairs. Immediately, Mei was there, nodding her head as Haruka explained her something. Rin couldn't hear their voice among the chit chat of the workers around him, but he could see that Haruka's guest was someone important.  
  
The man was taller than Haruka, maybe even taller than Makoto, too. He had long blond hair, half of it pulled back by several braids. His green eyes had a stunning hue about them, intelligent and inquisitive. He was looking around the garden, inspecting the bales that they had made. His clothes looked expensive, his cream colored bist flowing around him luxuriously. Next to him, Haruka looked quite plain and ordinary in his clothes even though Rin guessed that the brunet's shiny belt and decorated kilij had to cost a fortune. The man had too many rings on his long fingers and quite a few necklaces dangling on his chest. Rin was sure that under that silk bist there was a dagger or short kilij, but he seriously doubted that the weapon had seen a good use. These kind of men preferred to walk around with bodyguards instead of doing their own dirty work.  
  
The man finished scrutinizing the store house and turned his attention back to Haruka who looked as indifferent as ever. Rin wondered if the brunet found the other man's open interest as weird or rude because Rin thought it was. But Haruka was a master of poker faces and he did not even show an ounce of displeasure as he sat there.  
  
Mei came back with two servants and they quickly set up a wonderful lunch for them to enjoy. Rin watched them eat and talk for a while out of sheer boredom and then turned his attention back to his food.  
  
When everyone finished, they went back to work and Rin pretty much ignored Haruka and his guest the blond Bey since he couldn't hear anything they talked. But as the lunch was cleared and maps and documents were spread in their stead, Rin started to have this disturbing feeling of being watched. At first, he shrugged it off as he was used to Haruka's unrelenting gaze by now and went about with his work. Yet he could tell that the prying eyes did not belong to Haruka. The brunet's eyes never disturbed him, this was something entirely different. Reining in his irritation, he endured; and just as the blond man indicated his intention of departure, Rin's eyes involuntarily drawn to the tall man.  
  
Kneejerk repulsion hit him as soon as he met those green eyes of the other which regarded him with unapologetic hunger and, dare he say, lust. The man was clearly amused by the sudden look of disbelief and derision that appeared on Rin's face. He smirked at Rin in a totally relaxed way as if flirting with a slave in public was a usual occurrence for him. The man openly sized him up and down and did not hesitate in doing so. Rin quickly tore his eyes away, disgusted by the man's blatant show of sensuality as if Rin was a piece of meat, not a sentient human being.  
  
Surprisingly, none of the men seemed to catch that moment as no one commented on it and Rin found a little consolation in that while the man was seen off to his way by Haruka. He thanked to whatever was holy that Makoto was nothing like this man and he hoped that he'd never see the blond Bey again.  
  
That night when Ai returned, they found two sets of beds, blankets and pillows with a permission to use the stables as their temporary sleeping quarters. It was Haruka's doing, Rin knew that, but he refused to approach the brunet to thank him for it. Because when Haruka had told the men that it was enough work done for today, he had passed by Rin without even making eye contact. This irked Rin and he quickly left the garden after his chains were reattached by Selim.  
  
Having eaten their dinner, he and Ai were sitting near the entrance of the stable, completely alone, save for the guardian on the high wall of the backyard. Rin told Ai about the man whom Haruka had eaten his lunch with and to his astonishment Ai recognized him right after Rin had described the man.  
  
"A tall man with a crème colored bist, right? He came to the animal keep with Haruka-san today."  
  
Rin cringed internally at the news. "What did they do?"  
  
"Nothing much..." Ai shrugged, playing with his chains. "They walked around a bit and talked, though I couldn't hear about what."  
  
"I hope this man has nothing to do with our travel ahead." Rin grumbled in irritation.  
  
"Why? What happened here?  
  
Rin considered if he should tell Ai about how the blond man had been ogling him the whole afternoon and how he had looked at him when their eyes had met. It was degrading to talk about something like that, but here all he could count on was Ai and he decided that he shouldn't keep this from him.  
  
"That man looked at me as if he considered me less than dirt, as if I was an object." He gritted his sharp teeth.  
  
At that, Ai's eyes narrowed down in equal displeasure. "Makoto-san was together with us when they arrived, and Senpai, believe it or not, that man was looking at the Bey as if he could eat him."  
  
Rin's eyebrows drew together. "And what did the Bey do?"  
  
"He ignored him and Haruka-san did not let him stay around the Bey for too long."  
  
"That man is trouble. I hope we'll never see him again."  
  
Ai nodded his agreement, sharing in Rin's frustration and anger.  
  
Within two more days, all the silk was packed, all the items and the necessities the travelers might need were prepared and saddled onto the well-rested and treated camels, ready to go.  
  
It was time for Haruka's vanguard group to depart as Rin and Ai slowly proceeded with the long row of animals and the men on foot or horseback. They cursed their luck yet again for bringing them here and throwing them onto  an unknown road until the time they could find a way to escape.  
  
Under the afternoon sun, they walked towards the outskirts of the city where the lake was located and they idled there for about half an hour, filling their barrels and skins with water, letting the animals have a last taste from the oasis.  
  
Rin watched Makoto and Haruka's parting and saw how the brunet couldn't keep himself from approaching the waters with his horse in tow. At that moment, as they waited, Rin would very much like to get closer to the lake and talk to its arank for the last time, but it was impossible. They were waiting together with the other slaves under the shade of the animals and it would draw too much attention to them. But nothing could stop him from admiring the sight of the brilliant blue. So he gazed upon it fondly and promised himself to come back here when he'd be a free man again.  
  
Thankfully, their waiting did not last for long because he could see how agitated Haruka was getting due to being unable to swim even though the lake was right before him. Rin got a vengeful satisfaction out of the brunet's misery, because here he was going through the same torment himself. At least, he wasn't alone in this.  
  
Yet his enjoyment quickly vanished. They were joined by a caravan of the same size which was headed by none other than the tall blond with lecherous eyes from before.  
  
Rin and Ai looked on in bewilderment as the man shook hands with Haruka and started talking in a merry way.  
  
"It was that man." Ai whispered to him and Rin nodded, both of them consciously turning away from the sight.  
  
"Who is he?" Rin asked to the nearest slave sitting beside him. The slave looked at him as if he couldn't comprehend how Rin did not know the blond. "Zinan-sama?" The slave raised an eyebrow and then understanding dawned on him. "Ah, right... You are a newbie. That man is a Bey, owner of this caravan that's gonna be travelling with us until the meeting point with Makoto-sama."  
  
Rin's displeasure and disappointment had to be visible, because the other slave had this strange look on his face. "Wait, have you met him before?"  
  
Rin resisted visibly cringing, a defeated sigh leaving his lips. "I saw him once." He admitted.  
  
"Then let me tell you something. Whatever you've heard of him to twist your face like that is probably true."    
  
Rin nodded solemnly at the slave and when they heard Mahir's shout for them to get ready, they scrambled onto their feet and paid extra attention to look as inconspicuous as possible.  
  
By now, both Rin and Ai knew Haruka's group by their faces if not by the names; so they stuck with them, avoiding the men of the other caravan like the plague.  
  
As they walked and left the city of Nefer behind, they saw women slaves among Zinan's group, all of them really beautiful and quite young even though they weren't more than the fingers of a hand. Ai nodded towards another group for Rin to look and not surprisingly, Rin saw a couple of young men who were following the women, dressed as lavishly as the females, all good looking and clean. So, as long as they were beautiful and young, Zinan didn't mind their gender.  
  
Rin hated his current situation with the very fiber of his being, but he couldn't deny the luck of being bought by Makoto. He wondered why someone like Makoto or Haruka would agree upon an arrangement like this with someone of Zinan's character. He mentally shrugged. As long as he and Ai were safe, it was none of his business.  
  
He concentrated his attention around, observing the people of the blond's caravan. After listening in on their conversations, it was easy to understand that most of the men were from Quenaan. Rin had spent quite a good amount of his time in that country and knew their language. It was interesting to see that some of Haruka's men were having a conversation with Zinan's men in Quenaani, apparently knowing each other from earlier encounters. Thanks to that, Rin could get some information, too.

Zinan's group was carrying salt, something very valuable for the people of the inlands as most of the salt was produced in the north, by the sea. They were talking about selling some of their precious cargo in the southern city of Asvan in Tianna. Rin wondered if that city was where they were going to meet with Makoto's group. He knew that city only by name, had never been there before, thus he had no idea how long it would take them to reach there. He wished that he had a map or better yet, he could ask about it to someone. But it would raise suspicion and Rin didn't need that.  
  
By the time the night fell, they had already crossed the lands which had a semblance of what could be considered as arable terrain. Now the arid wastelands and the sandy desert began to creep around them for real. The temperature fell considerably, but thanks to there being no wind, it was bearable even without wearing kalaths or thicker clothes. Under the eerily bright night sky neither of the caravans seemed to have a break or stop for food and a bit rest. Somebody from their group shared around dried meat, bread and dried fruits which made up their humble dinner. Rin suspected that they were most probably going to walk till the sun down of the next day and then set a camp in a designated area. Travelling at night was not his favorite thing to do even though the burning sun was gone, because one could easily lose his way or fall into a trap set by the bandits, but apparently these people knew what they did as they advanced into the night with sure steps.  
  
Chewing on the dried food and chatting with Ai proved to be nice distractions from sleep, but Rin caught himself squinting his eyes into the darkness in search of Haruka several times. Berating himself for his impulsive behavior, he sourly directed his attention elsewhere, but try as he might he couldn't understand his need to see the stoic brunet even though Haruka was not in sight. He was probably together with that Zinan guy and for a moment Rin wondered if the tall man gave the same bedroom eyes to Haruka, too. The thought was equally disquieting, but Rin knew that if Zinan had ever dared to do so, he wouldn't have been here. Why he was so sure of it, Rin couldn't explain, but Haruka had the eyes of someone who did not tolerate things like unwanted attention. Rin shook his head. Even if the opposite was true, Rin knew that it was none of his business, however irritating the idea of it might be. Rin refused to acknowledge why he'd feel that way about it.  
  
The sunrise was beautiful even though its bright glare immediately swept away any semblance of coolness from the air. It swiftly got hot and the caravan stopped for a few minutes for people to get some breakfast and for the animals to have a breather. But their break didn't last long. They were back on the move again and not surprisingly, the last night's chatty lot was all quiet now. Not many people had the enough energy to spare to talking and geniality.  
  
They sometimes throd on the sand and sometimes on the bare and dead soil that was slowly but surely being swallowed by the creeping desert sand. At least, Rin could still feel the thin trail of underground water running beneath the wasteland that they traversed. There was nothing around in the name of vegetation other than occasional bush with brittle, thorny branches or small gray cactuses full of thorns. Ai told him that he had seen a few snakes and small rodents around, but other than that, the land was lifeless.  
  
Rin wondered what would happen if he'd spent a year or so in the desert. His presence mellowed the harshness of the sun and eventually gathered heavy and loaded rain clouds. But once the clouds appeared, there was no stopping the rain unless he'd leave that place for a period of time.  
  
Would he be able to make it rain in the desert? And what would happen if the rain would be torrential just like the one he had caused right after his father's death? Some part of him was really curious, but the other part hoped to never find it out.  
  
Finally, before the evening settled, the caravans stopped and the men quickly unloaded the animals to give them a rest. Ai was called to tend the horses and some men started to set up practical tents to sleep. A few people were building fire in several spots and get a dinner going. Rin was one of the people who were asked to make dinner. To his surprise, Haruka's men had a fine stock of ingredients to use. Together with three other men, Rin made a moist pilaf with root veggies, dried meat and several grains. It turned out quite tasty and Rin took two bowls from it, finding Ai and sharing his dinner. They sat near the animals and observed the others.  
  
The camp was large but quiet. It took no genius to realize that everyone was tired. Some people had already eaten their fill and were asleep upon their mattresses even before it was completely dark. Rin didn't blame them; he and Ai were about to sleep on their feet, too, but Ai was called back to help feeding the animals and Rin was asked to see a man who was said to have vomited severely during the day.  
  
Though it was clear before Rin even touched the ill man, as soon as Rin put his hand on his forehead, he sensed that the man was terribly dehydrated and sun stroked. He wasn't perspiring and that was a problem, because the man wasn't lucid, either.  
  
Such luck for the first day of their travel... But Rin suspected that it was mostly due to the guy's old age and a case of drinking too much which caused accelerated dehydration.  
  
The other men in the tent helped Rin to undress and wipe at the old man's chest and arms with wet clothes in order to keep him cool. Rin really didn't want to use his core energy this early on their way, but the old man needed it. His liver and heart were in a bad shape and if they couldn't make him sweat, he was probably going to die. So Rin subtly helped the old man's life force to return to its normal flow and the unconscious man shuddered visibly as beads of sweat slowly appeared on his skin. Rin told one of the men to continue wiping the ill with a wet cloth and gave him a bottle from his bag of remedies to cure the mineral loss.  
  
He told the old man's caretakers to make him drink water as much as they could, but slowly. The men looked at him with something akin to reverence in their eyes and Rin felt elated. Haruka had been right. People of the caravan treated him better than the servants of the house, not like a slave, but like the healer that he was. So, with a smile he warned. "Tell the gramps to drink less. Wine seeps the water out of the body like a sponge."  
  
With that, he left the tent only to run into Haruka who was coming to check upon his man. At the sight of the brunet, Rin felt his heart pick up speed needlessly and he ignored it.  
  
Haruka looked genuinely concerned and Rin admired his bond with the men. "How is he?"  
  
"He is fine. Sunstroke..." Rin explained. "No internal bleeding thankfully. But I advise you to send him back to Nefer."  
  
Haruka's eyebrows rose at that. "Why?"  
  
Rin shrugged, wiping his still wet hands on the edge of his long shirt. "His liver and heart are damaged. He has to either stop drinking or consider retirement."  
  
Haruka nodded, trusting Rin's judgment. He did not press the matter further and Rin took his momentary loss of focus to turn around and go his way, not wanting to prolong their talk even though his eyes had searched for the brunet all day.

Apparently Haruka thought differently, because he quickly fell into step with Rin, walking by his side. But for some reason, or because Haruka being Haruka, he did not talk more.

Frustrated by the silence, Rin couldn't stop himself from asking. "You need to tell me something?"  
  
Haruka looked at a loss of words for a moment as if he had just caught himself doing something he didn't mean to do, and Rin watched him struggle to find some excuse. It was obvious that the brunet wanted to say something. That was why he had to have tailed along, but it was evident that he hadn't done that consciously.  
  
Rin didn't know if he should find it hilarious and snort or think that it was sweet of someone who looked like a bandit to act like a lost puppy upon a mere question. "Are you alright?" He asked, somehow his own mood mellowing, too.  
  
Haruka blinked, finally catching himself and returning to his normal behavior. "Are you?" He asked back, glancing at Rin who had a small smile on his lips now.  
  
They were walking around the camp together and to Rin it looked like nobody cared seeing the two of them together. Rin wondered if it had anything to do with Haruka's promise about telling people to shut up and not bother Rin. The possibility was both upsetting and somehow liberating. Rin just didn't want to stick like a sore thumb among these people. "I am fine." He raised an eyebrow. "What made you think otherwise?"

Haruka was regarding him with a critical eye as if he doubted the answer. "You were looking at the lake with such a longing yesterday. That's why." He explained.  
  
Really, it shouldn't come as a surprise to Rin to be observed this closely by Haruka, but it was still fascinating him to be the object of Haruka's close scrutiny. "It takes one to know the feeling to recognize it in the others, huh?" He smugly smiled. To his surprise, Haruka smiled back softly. "Yeah, I guess so." He murmured. "There aren't many lakes on our route and Nefer was beautiful."  
  
"Then I assume we'll go southwest." Rin contemplated, because the southeast was Arda's river basin and even though the river cut the desert in two, there were plenty of well watered lands on both of the river banks.  
  
Haruka mumbled a _yes_. He didn't look like he was pleased about their route any more than Rin was. Less water meant more hardships to overcome, but beyond the desert, there was going to be the sea and the only thing that motivated Haruka was the prospect of seeing it again.  
  
"It takes us further away from Arda." Rin complained. "The upper part of the river basin is too far away and the middle part is so gorged on water that these lands are completely drained of their underground reserves."  
  
"How can you talk so sure about that?" Haruka's voice sounded a bit sharp.  
  
Rin turned his side to look at him and as he guessed right, the brunet's defenses were up again like whenever they talked about the dam.  
  
Rin could feel it, the lessening of the water under the wasteland that they traveled over. There was an unusual swelling in the main lake of the dam. He had felt it whilst he'd been in Shalbatana, but this was not the time to talk about hows and whys. "I hope I am wrong." He cryptically answered. It looked like Haruka wanted to argue on this, but Rin turned his head away, now all humor and playfulness gone. That made Haruka desist, too. The brunet continued looking at him without commenting on the subject anymore.  
  
Rin considered heading towards where his and Ai's beds were, seeing that his earlier comment ruined the easygoing mood a bit, but Haruka was still walking with him. So, he decided to approach the central fire built for the cooking. Not many people were around it and the ones who sat near it were not within earshot.  
  
Rin sat on a vacant cushion and Haruka did the same. One of the men from the group that surrounded the fire approached them and handed them two small cups filled with a dark liquid. It was coffee and had such a strong tang to it that Rin's throat burned. "Gah! How do they drink this?" He grimaced even though he continued sipping the hot liquid.  
  
"These are our guards for the night. They want to stay awake. You shouldn't drink much if you want to sleep." Haruka drank his share easily as if it was plain water.  
  
"Then you shouldn't either. Don't you want to sleep?"  
  
"I am going to stay with the men a bit longer." The brunet finished his cup in the second sip.  
  
With an impulse that he regretted, Rin uttered the first question that came to his mind. "Will the Bey of the other caravan accompany you?" He wished he could bite his tongue off as soon as the question left his lips, so instead he willingly burned his tongue on his coffee.  
  
Haruka looked uncomprehending for a moment and then he shrugged. "Zinan? He prefers to stay in his tent."  
  
"And you?" Rin tried to avert Haruka's attention from the stupidity of his earlier question.  
  
"I like sitting and listening to the men. They keep me up to date about everything."  
  
Ah, Rin could see that. Haruka was liked by all the men. Rin believed that the reason had to be Haruka's constant silent presence among them. "Is this the same then? What we are doing..." He playfully wondered, not expecting an actual answer, but Haruka's serious reply caused him to go silent.  
  
"Talking with you is nice." Haruka looked at him, his eyes shining with the truth of his words. "I like it even though it generally ends with me upsetting you somehow."  
  
The admission made Rin's eyes go wide. In his frenzy to keep acting normal, he drank the rest of his cup in one go, causing himself to choke on the rough coffee grains and start coughing. He felt Haruka's warm hand patting his back to help him clear his throat and the suddenness of the simple touch increased his coughing fit for a moment.  
  
"Are you alright?" Haruka was concerned, rubbing gentle circles between his shoulder blades. Rin both wanted to flee and melt into the comfort of that silky touch at the same time, shocking himself for feeling like this.  
  
Somebody brought them a cup of water and Rin drank in large gulps, finally clearing his windpipe.  
  
"No more coffee for you." Haruka smiled with a bit of mocking in his tone as Rin furiously wiped at his mouth and eyes.  
  
"And you wonder how you end up upsetting me _somehow_..." Rin retaliated at Haruka's smug behavior, but it didn't have any bite.  
  
"I am sorry." Haruka apologized and it drew Rin's attention back at him. He was about to say something dismissive, but he stopped when he saw the firm and sincere emotion in those shimmering blue eyes as if Haruka was apologizing for all the previous times that he had caused Rin grief. He could only nod with a small _yeah_ coming from his mouth before he hastily turned his attention back at the warm flames. In a corner of his mind, he was amazed at how Haruka could say such embarrassing stuff with such a straight face. But at the same time, he believed that it was one of Haruka's strong points which made him much more real and human than the others.  
  
Rin felt his cheeks stretch with a smile and slightly burn with a blush at his own thoughts. But instead of properly acknowledging the reason for it, he consciously chose to feel irritated to bury the unwanted reaction of his body. He stood up quickly, Haruka looking up at him in question. "I... I think I need to sleep now. I am really tired." He announced without even sparing a glance at the brunet and hurriedly mingled back with their group after saying a hushed goodnight.  
  
Haruka kept sitting there, trying to understand why the red head had left so abruptly. At least, this time he didn't put that sad expression on Rin's face and he chose to deem that as their first normal interaction without any biting words or hidden meanings. Why this made him happy, why he carefully hid his small smile behind his arms as he rested them on his knees, he didn't know. It was stupid and very troublesome actually, the way he sought the healer's companionship, the way he tried to tread carefully around him. But at times, when those brilliant garnet eyes regarded him with surprise and amazement, he really felt elated and at peace.

He had never felt a connection between himself and another person this quickly and drastically before, but his mind refused to find it odd. He had convinced himself that their pasts as wanderers and their extraordinary abilities linked them in some way. And their love for water... Maybe that was the strongest link, because Haruka had never seen someone else look like that at the waters of that lake or any other water body other than himself and Rin. Somebody else would certainly find this weird, but Haruka knew that if he'd talk about this with Rin, Rin would understand him. And that thought alone was enough.  
  
Even though he knew he was being cruel to Rin and Ai by making them walk around with those chains, the idea of Rin running away from him before he could even put a name on the urge that had made him buy the red head that day was inconceivable for him. This bothered him greatly even without Makoto's constant reminders about the inequality of what he was doing. Yet for some reason, he knew for certain that Rin would be lost to him if he were to remove those chains. Even though what he had been doing to the healer and his friend since day one clearly defied Haruka’s own principles, he couldn't bring himself to act otherwise. He was willingly stomping on his own ideals for Rin. It was unhealthy, he knew that, but he firmly stood behind his decision. Those chains were going to remain and he was going to ignore the tiny voice in his head telling him that he was lying to Rin deliberately for his own end's sake.  
  
His mood going down the drain with his inner turmoil, he sighed and stood up from before the fire and went to join with his men who were chatting and smoking. He forced himself to listen to their merry banter to suppress the disturbing emotion that his own thoughts had evoked in him. Thankfully, his men quickly offered him a cup of wine, continuing with their stories and jokes, thus keeping Haruka's mind busy.  
  
The next two days had set their rhythm. They travelled with a nice pace, getting up early before the sun rise and stopping after the sunset to cover more land in the cool air. Everyone shared the duties by a roster designated by Mahir and due to their large number, it became evident that Rin and Ai had to work for one day with a two days’ break between each work day. It suited them just fine, because walking under the merciless sun whole day was already seeping enough of their strength.  
  
Tonight was their fourth night on the road and a workday for both Ai and Rin. Together, they helped unsaddling the load from the animals and then waited for the dinner to cook. They sat side by side and observed the people.  
  
"They are starting to mingle, aren't they?" Ai murmured in a hushed tone, nibbling on a piece of dried fruit.  
  
Rin nodded subtly at that. "But no one approaches us." He complained even though he could guess the reason.  
  
"These chains... Nobody wears them except us. Maybe they think we are vicious and thus stay away."  
  
"Exactly..." Rin agreed again. But their own group knew them and their reason to keep their distance had to be something else. It could have been great if a few people from Haruka's group wanted to get friendlier with them because then Rin and Ai could pry some information from the men. They weren't aware of how Haruka had ordered them to be secretive, so they really didn't understand the reason for being left alone unless they worked. Rin could approach Zinan's group with his language advantage, but he didn't have an idea on how wise it would be. He didn't want to stir up trouble when it was the last thing he would need in their situation.  
  
"By the way..." Rin changed the subject. "Haruka thinks that we might be from Quenaan."  
  
Ai looked at his elder with a surprised look. "Why?"  
  
"He asked me where I am from and I evaded the question, so he made a guess." Rin shrugged. "If they ask you, say the same."  
  
Knowing their delicate position as people from Kissaara among an armed group of men from Shalbatana, Ai nodded. "Alright, though I am not very good with their language as you are, Senpai." He smiled dejectedly.  
  
Rin smiled back encouragingly. "You'll manage, Ai. Just say that we are from a village near the capital, since we know that city the best."  
  
Ai nodded again, his expression slowly turning pensive. "If only we had a way to get rid of these chains..." He murmured, irritated by his own helplessness as he looked at Rin's wounded hands and feet.  
  
Rin hung his head, equally perturbed. This was troubling him, too. If they were going to escape sooner or later, they needed a solution for this problem. "Haruka has the keys." He sighed, scratching at his neck. "And I don't know any reasonable way to get them other than convincing him that he can unlock us." And both of them knew that the possibility of it was quite slim. So, none of them commented on the matter more as it demoralized them.  
  
Whilst they had been talking, the dinner was made and Ai went and brought them two bowls of stew. They ate their share in peace and as soon as they found their chance, they went to sleep because tomorrow was going to be a work day.  
  
The next few days were the same, the only difference was a sand storm that they had experienced in the middle of the day, causing them to stop and take shelter under cloths, covering themselves and the animals. Thankfully, it hadn't been a severe one and after an hour of listening to the wind howling together with a camel under a bed sheet, Rin and the rest of the caravan continued their way.  
  
Even though neither Rin nor Ai understood the reason, at the night of that stormy day a commotion woke them up from their slumber, though it subsided quickly. It happened among the other Bey's group, thus they did not pry into it, thinking it had to be something unimportant since no one talked about it. But the next day, on their eighth one, even though Rin was assigned a duty, he was called by Mahir. He told Rin to take his bag of premade medicine and follow him.  
  
Rin went with the slient man, not expecting more explanation, but when he realized that they were walking among the merchants of Quenaan, he couldn't help but ask. "What are we doing among these people?"  
  
Mahir threw him a bored glance as if telling him to shut up and Rin didn't inquire more after he saw where they were going. Mahir was leading him to the ornate and needlessly spacious tent of the blond Bey, Zinan.  
"What the hell?" Rin swore under his breath, feeling his body tense as if he was going into a war zone. This tent was the last place he'd ever enter, but here he was following Haruka's man, willingly entering through the cloth separator.  
  
The inside of the tent was lavishly decorated with beautiful tapestry and was warmly illuminated by ornate oil lamps of fine metal work. There was also a nice dinner spread on the floor with soft and comfortable velvet cushions for the diners, but Rin registered none of that.  
  
The moment he entered, the first thing he saw was the pitiful girl who was lying face first on the right side near the entrance, her upper body exposed and her mouth muffled with a piece of cloth. Muffled, because the girl was moaning and crying in pain due to the freshly inflicted, crisscrossed whipping wounds. She was half lucid, her pale body visibly shaking, her hands and feet bound in chains just like his.  
  
The scene was not as horrifying as what Rin had already seen during his earlier travels. He had treated whip scars and wounds many times, maybe more severe than this with infections. But for some reason, seeing this girl on the ground, treated like the dirt under the shoes of this man Zinan, Rin's blood boiled.  
  
He sharply directed his eyes to the people sitting and dining in the tent to find the man responsible of this, but the first person he saw was Haruka even before his eyes fell on Zinan.  
  
"Is this the one you were talking about?" The long haired blond asked; there was a hint of playfulness, a smile in his tone.  
  
Haruka nodded, sipping on a small cup as he sat sideways on the right, facing Zinan.  
  
Zinan reclined back on his cushion and with a completely satisfied smirk, he sized Rin up from head to toe and snorted. "His face was full of hatred and anger when he entered, but as soon as he saw you, he turned into a clueless puppy."  
  
The comment immediately pulled Rin out of his stupor and he turned his eyes away from the annoying man, pointedly looking at nothing in particular. His now emotionless face had to have entertained the Bey, because his chuckle was audible as if he had found Rin's reaction funny.  
  
"So, Healer-kun, whatever your name is, Nanase gave me the permission to _use_ you tonight, so heal this girl."  
  
Rin's hands shook with the ire he felt towards the smug bastard and at his choice of words, but he couldn't help himself from looking at Haruka for some reason.  
  
The brunet's eyes were on him, too, and there was a look of deep seriousness and grim displeasure in their blue coldness. Seeing that cooled down some of Rin's disgust and anger because it proved him that Haruka was as upset about this as he was.  
  
Not waiting for any longer, Rin sat down near the poor girl, asking for some water and a clean cloth quickly. To his surprise, nobody moved an inch. Rin turned to look at the two servants who were waiting on Zinan, but they acted like they were deaf.  
  
"Some clean water and clean cloth, _please_." He tersely demanded and this made the Bey openly laugh.

 Bewildered by the obnoxious reaction, Rin looked on until the blond man collected himself enough to talk.

 "Really, Nanase... You and Tachibana are quite lenient with your slaves. He doesn't even know how to speak." He laughed again when Haruka chose to not answer that and continued drinking. "Well, well... Bring in whatever the Healer-kun wants." He dismissively let his servants help.  
  
Ignoring the piercing green eyes set on him, Rin turned back to his bag. He rummaged through it, finding a balm he had made for painful skin lacerations like this. He took out some alcohol and a paste to numb the wounded area.  
  
The poor girl was watching him with a lidded gaze, tears of anguish slowly tumbling down the bridge of her nose. Rin put his hand on her forehead and unsurprisingly felt that she was running a fever, dehydrated severely and lost some blood, not given food or drink quite possibly for more than a day. At least, she didn't have an infection even though the wounds looked deep and a day or so old. Rin wondered if the commotion of the day before had been because of this girl. Yet whatever she might have done, nobody deserved this kind of punishment, especially in the hands of a man like this.  
  
"Healer-kun~" The Bey drawled mockingly, catching Rin's attention. "You make such scary faces. Are you sure you are a healer and not a mercenary for hire?"  
  
"I am a healer, Sir." Rin answered, trying to school his face and voice into a neutral look and tone. It was really hard when he wanted to punch that satisfied smirk off of the man's face, but Rin managed. He returned to his work just as the things he demanded were brought in.  
  
"How serious and diligent... It is cute."  
  
Rin heard Zinan's snide comment, but ignored it. He started with the numbing paste. He spread a generous amount of it on the girl's back and the ensuing relief on her pain twisted face was so visible that gradually, her tears stopped and her moans ceased. Rin took out the ball of cloth from her mouth and let her breath freely. Even though he was about to clean the wound with alcohol, he was sure that the girl wasn't going to feel much for the rest of the night.  
  
Rin counted ten slashes, some of them deeper than the others. Considering that all of the hits had left bloody marks and broken skin in their wake, a special kind of whip had to have been used. Rin tried to stop thinking about it and cleaned the back of the girl with water and diluted alcohol. He applied his healing balm and quietly uttered words under his breath which sounded unintelligible to whomever could hear.  
  
"She didn't even make a sound." Zinan observed, eating fruit lazily. "You didn't kill her, did you?" He chuckled.  
  
Rin gritted his teeth. The girl was facing him, not the diners, so they couldn't see if she was awake or not. "She is awake, _Sir_." Rin manipulated the girl's life force, adding some of his core energy to speed up her healing, murmuring as silently as he could.  
  
"Then how? You used alcohol on her. How could she stay like a statue under that treatment?" The curiosity in Zinan's voice was genuine.  
  
Without looking up from his work, Rin replied. "I have used a paste to numb her skin."  
  
"Skin numbing, huh? And where did you get that from?"  
  
Rin looked into the reddened eyes of the girl who was watching him with an expression as if telling him to not talk more, not humor this man anymore. But ignoring him might make Haruka look weak and undisciplined, so he spoke, divulging as little information as he could. "I prepared it."  
  
"Oh, what a genius we have here!" Zinan exaggerated his awe. "Nanase, sell him to me." His voice took on the eagerness of a child. "My useless lot is sick, wounded or itching to be disciplined like this mongrel of a girl. He'd be very useful for me."  
  
That demand urged Rin to look towards Haruka under his fringe as subtly as he could. His heart was beating with trepidation, a sick feeling crawling up his stomach at the thought of being given to such a worthless man.

Haruka didn't even acknowledge his gaze. He just looked on with humorless eyes at Zinan and said a single syllable. "No."  
  
Rin became aware that he had been holding his breath as relief calmed him down.  
  
Zinan laughed at Haruka's ready answer. "C'mon~" He sing drawled again. "Healer-kun is vicious, right? I'd save you from a burden by buying him off of you."  
  
"He is not vicious." Haruka's tone was really cold, but the blond male didn't even seem like he had registered it.  
  
"Really now? Then why is he the only slave with chains and shackles on his hands and feet?"  
  
The question made Rin stop, too, causing him to wait in baiting breath for Haruka's answer. Rin wasn't aware but his face was full of expectation, it was evident that he hoped Haruka to say something reasonable and not heartbreaking.  
  
The brunet turned his eyes at him with an unreadable expression. "You have to ask that to Makoto. He belongs to him."  
  
Well, that was not what Rin hoped to hear, bıt it was acceptable enough, considering that it was the truth. He hung his head in disappointment and finished dressing the girl's wounds, leaving them open. He helped her drink a bit of water and tied her long brown hair to prevent it from sticking to the wounds.  
  
"Don't try to fool me, Nanase. Tachibana is a softie. Look at those wounds on the unlucky sod's hands and feet. He doesn't even have an ownership tattoo, but his clothes are nice and he is clean. Has he been gifted to you?"  
  
The question turned Rin's blood ice cold in his veins as he wanted to learn the same thing. He couldn't move from his spot even though he had already finished his task, wanting desperately to hear what Haruka would say. But infuriatingly enough, the brunet kept his calm even though all the eyes in the tent were on him. The only indicator of his displeasure was the sharp way he put his wine cup back onto the low table before him.  
  
"He is not a gift or any other thing that you assume. He is a healer, that's all there is to it."  
  
"Oh, then why can't he heal his own wounds?" Zinan was annoyingly clever and observant.  
  
Rin saw how Haruka resisted twisting his face into a harsher and murderous expression than what was already etched onto it.  
  
"That's his business, not mine." He spoke lowly and sinisterly, giving Zinan a long and withering glare.  
  
Zinan observed Haruka for a moment, serious. Then his face broke into a sleazy grin, shrugging. "I see. It is still as hard as ever to pry a couple of words from you when you don't want to talk."  
  
Haruka simply turned his head away, clearly showing his annoyance.  
  
Rin felt anger, disappointment and a feeling of being let down fill him. He cleared his throat, wanting to leave quickly.  
  
"Ah, Healer-kun. It seems you have finished." Zinan smiled at him, playing with the braids of his long hair as he half sat half reclined on his cushions.  
  
"Yes, Sir." Rin arranged the poor girl into a more comfortable position and put the rest of the clean fabric over her back to keep it safe from sand and any possible bugs that might be attracted by the smell of blood. "She will be okay in a few days if she is left alone and her wounds not agitated. If she would be given something to eat and drink, it would be the best." He advised.  
  
"Do as he says." Zinan ordered his servants.  
  
"This balm should be applied to the wounds and her back shouldn't be bandaged." Rin put the jar of thick liquid in front of him. But Zinan waved his hand. "Nanase, let him come and finish his job tomorrow and the day after, would you?"  
  
Rin prayed that Haruka would say no, but the dour brunet only nodded his head.  
  
"Mahir will take care of that."  
  
Rin swore internally and got up, giving a last look at the abused girl. She blinked at him as if in thanks and without saying anything, Rin took his bag and left the tent in a turmoil of emotions. He knew that he wasn't going to get a good night's sleep tonight with so many questions swirling in his head.  
  
He told Ai about why he had been called and what happened at Zinan's tent to relieve his mind a bit.  
  
"So, there has to be a reason for us to carry these chains instead of being branded like the other slaves." Ai whispered, completely burrowed under his blanket as he sat beside Rin. They were speaking in hushed tones and weren't moving much, because nearly all of the camp was asleep except for the guards and some men who preferred the cooler hours for smoking and drinking.  
  
"Zinan said Makoto is a gentle person and implied that he wouldn't let me walk around in chains and with wounds, but here we are the only slaves with them." Rin grunted.  
  
"But you heal my wounds whenever they appear."  
  
"Zinan doesn't know that." Rin sighed. "He mocked me about them, but I guess it is understandable. You don't see many healers around who supposedly can't heal his or her own wounds, right?"  
  
"I agree that it looks quite suspicious, but did you have a chance to inspect the brand of ownership on the other slaves?"  
  
Rin nodded. "When I checked Makoto's men I got a closer look at them. They were made with some permanent ink from the roots of a few herbs mixed together. I guess the ink is injected with needles. None of them looked like made by burning the skin with hot brands."  
  
"Thankfully..." Ai cringed at the idea of it even though he knew that it was a common practice to brand the slaves with hot rods just like they did to the cattle. "It doesn't matter. You healed Haruka-san and now they probably think that you can erase any and all kinds of marks that can be made by worldly means."  
  
Ai's logic was so true that it hurt. "I admit it was a colossal mistake to heal that fractured collarbone within two days and thus giving them the reason to think so of me. But Ai, I really didn't want to prolong that treatment. His skin burns me. It literally gave me blisters on that night when I finished healing him. How can someone like him stay alive without boiling in his own blood, I don't know."  
  
Ai had nothing to say to that even though what Rin had done probably had caused Makoto to think that they were better off with chains than tattoos or brands that could be easily erased by Rin. But something bothered him. "I will create a chance and touch him." He decided.  
  
Rin raised an eyebrow at that.  
  
"He burns and numbs you, right? Then let's see if he does the same to me, too."  
  
Rin felt a bit outdone by Ai's idea, smiling. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Haruka touching someone else for him to judge if the other person gave the same reaction to the brunet's touch as he did. He became curious about the outcome of Ai's intend, because really, he didn't believe that he could be the only person who ended up with burns and an irresistible numbness at the wake of the brunet's touch. And what was more baffling was the fact that Haruka seemed to be not aware of the effect of his touch on the people. Was he acting or was the ignorance genuine, Rin did not know. Haruka wasn't one of those people who'd purposefully hurt someone for the hell of it, so it was quite likely that he was unaware of what he was doing. But how could someone like him exist? Though, due to his own disposition, Rin knew that any and all kinds of oddity could exist in their world, but what Haruka's secret was, he had no idea. The brunet's body temperature fluctuated between normal and boiling hot on different days. Due to what, Rin didn't have a guess, either. But when Haruka's skin was hot enough to give someone blisters, how could Haruka function just as normally as before, that was the mystery.  
  
Then again, that numbness and the invasive quality of it might be the most frightening thing about it. It sapped Rin's energy to move, it even drained him of the will to move. Thankfully, Rin didn't experience the feeling more than two times.  
  
Was this what the arank of Nefer had warned him about? It possibly was, but Rin was at a loss of reasons and explanations. Should he feel concerned or threatened, he didn't know, either. And frankly speaking, as long as he bore these chains nothing was more important than getting rid of them, than to reclaim his freedom. Now that Zinan reminded him of all those disturbing questions yet again, Rin had a few things to tell the brunet for subjecting him to tonight's disturbing dinner attraction.  
  
With that thought in mind, he bid Ai goodnight and tried to get some sleep, cursing his luck for being forced to return to tent tomorrow and the next day again. He just hoped that Zinan would get bored from watching the girl's pain and relocate her to some other tent by tomorrow night. He really didn't want to see that man's face again this soon.  
  
The next day, Ai tried to approach Haruka as they walked under the sun, but the brunet was surrounded with his men, quietly talking about what seemed like a serious matter. Ai couldn't get the subject of their talk, but it wasn't very important. What his immediate concern was to find a way for him to touch Haruka without creating suspicion.  
  
Ai got his chance in the evening. As he groomed the horses of their group, he found Haruka tending to his own horse, seemingly at a loss of what to do about something. Ai came closer and instantly realized what the problem was, but he kept silent about it.  
  
Haruka saw him coming and there was relief in his eyes when he started talking. "He has a problem with his hind leg." He gently caressed the limb in question and the horse made a small sound, his muscles visibly quivering.  
  
Ai told him that he was going to look at it, but before that, he hugged the head of the big black horse and calmed the animal down with caresses and scratches. He whispered something to the horse, all the while checking if Haruka was watching him, but the brunet was thoughtfully combing the horse's side.  
  
The great animal made a harrumphing sound and Ai walked towards Haruka who was standing close to the leg he had mentioned. But just then, the horse made a sudden move and violently neighed, tossing his head backwards to Ai as if he wanted to push him away, thus making him lose his balance. Expecting this, Ai simply went along with it, free falling towards Haruka who was directly before him. Thankfully, things went as he had hoped and the brunet caught him with one hand on his upper arm and the other on his wrist.  
  
"Careful... Are you okay?" He heard Haruka's voice close, but the sole thing that registered in his mind was the two spots where Haruka's hands touched his skin and how it felt surprisingly normal, unlike what he had anticipated. He could only stare at his own wrist as the brunet let him stand properly and asked again. "Did you hurt somewhere?"  
  
Ai looked up at Haruka who was needlessly caressing the horse to calm him down. "Yes, yes... Thank you, Haruka-san." He stammered in fake surprise and then sheepishly smiled. "I will immediately help him. It doesn't seem very serious." He explained, petting the hurt leg.  
  
Haruka eyed him as if he had a question in his mind and Ai had a hard time in keeping the eye contact. But eventually the brunet nodded and picked up the comb that he had dropped when he'd saved the silver haired youth and gave it to him. "Do everything you can. I prize him very much." He told Ai and watched him hastily start massaging the animal's leg. After a few minutes, he left and Ai took a relaxed breath. All he could currently think was what it meant for Rin if he was the only one who got burned and numbed by Haruka's touch.  
  
He knew that Haruka had a core of fire and wondered if Rin's core of water, which was in its one of a kind elemental form, repelled it. But Ai had a core of water, too, even though nothing was special about it. He questioned whether the arank of Nefer was talking about this as Haruka's latent power. A power which somehow only seemed to be affecting Rin...  
  
Even though witnessing something like that was slim, Ai decided that he was going to closely watch Haruka and see what would happen when he touched someone else. Because he really didn't want to believe that they were in the hands of someone potentially dangerous, someone who could hurt Rin immensely whether Haruka was aware of it or not.  
  
It terrified Ai, because Haruka always seemed to sought after Rin, watching his every move and Rin was letting him in inch by inch. He followed him wherever Haruka asked him to come, he couldn't say no to him, he looked sad because of him and Ai was certain that Haruka had caused Rin to cry and had the power to make him smile -he knew he had no right to, but that night he had listened in on Haruka and Rin in the front garden.  
  
It seemed that Rin was drawn to the brunet, which explained his dangerous leniency with him. He wasn’t completely aware of what this might cause or how Haruka was looking at him with awe and concern shimmering in his eyes, turning that icy look into a soft blue whenever he gazed upon Rin. He wondered if Rin was aware of this, but he doubted that, because the brunet was quick to turn his head away or squash that look down when Rin looked back at him.  
  
He hoped that Rin would realize this soon and would not let this go out of hand, because in the eyes of these people, they were simply slaves and Rin neither had the luxury nor had the time to linger here like this. They had to get away as soon as possible. But for now, to not cause panic in Rin, Ai deemed that withelding this information was for the best. Rin was already as troubled as it could get.  
  
While Ai was away, looking after Haruka's horse, Mahir came and told Rin to get going to treat the slave girl. His mood quite sour, Rin followed after the older man with his bag and murmured a curse when he realized that they were going back to the Bey's tent. He couldn't help but wonder if Haruka was inside, too, but his fleeting curiosity died when Mahir did not follow him inside, opting to wait for him in front of the tent.  
  
Rin resisted grimacing and cursing his luck he stood in the entrance, his eyes landing on the Bey who was reclining on the cushions with a young man of Rin's age. The boy was feeding the blond from the dinner tray before them.  
  
"Yo, Healer-kun!" Zinan greeted him, his dark green eyes inspecting him from head to toe.  
  
The hungry gaze was disturbing, so Rin averted his eyes as he greeted him back perfunctorily. He walked towards the girl who was lying on the ground again, chains and all. At least, today she looked a bit better. Her complexion was a bit healthier, her eyes more alert unlike how delirious she had seemed yesterday. He sat down near her and asked for hot water and clean pieces of cloth again.  
  
"You don't waste time, do you?" Zinan scoffed mockingly. He successfully drew Rin's attention to himself.  
  
Rin contemplated if he should speak as a servant went out to fetch the things he had asked for. "I am only doing what is required of me." He eyed the Bey who looked like a big lazy cat as the slave boy fed him fruit pieces. The man petted the boy in return at wherever his hand reached on the boy's body. Rin wasn't up to watching the display of mock intimacy, so he busied himself with checking up on the girl's back, gently peeling the cloth that he had covered her with yesterday.  
  
The wounds looked on their way of healing, no longer inflamed. He touched her forehead, seeing that she no longer ran a fever. It seemed like she had been given something to eat and drink, too. Now she had to be strong enough to sit if she was let to do so, but he guessed that Zinan wanted her to grovel on the ground like this even when she could manage to get up. He wondered how she traveled with the rest during the daylight hours. Her black eyes were alive and whatever she had done to receive this punishment, Rin was certain that she was going to try it again.  
  
The water and the fabric pieces were brought in and Rin carefully cleaned the damaged skin, causing the girl to flinch occasionally, but there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
"What did you do yesterday?" Zinan asked, sitting in a more proper way, observing the girl's reactions.  
  
Rin looked up with incomprehension in his eyes.

The blond chuckled at his expression. "You have done something to speed up her healing, haven't you? Those wounds could never close that quickly otherwise."

Rin tried to hide his surprise upon the man's sharp observation, his face a mask of neutrality. "I just cleaned her skin and applied some balm to the wounds, that's all." He explained. "The lacerations weren't deep, so it is normal for the healing to progress like this."  
  
His last remark angered the Bey, his green eyes shining in serpentine coldness. "They weren't deep, huh?" He hissed and in a quick movement, he took out something with a flourish of his arm.  
  
Rin realized that the ensuing sharp sound belonged to the man's whip which hit provokingly close to where he was sitting, stopping just a few inches near.  
  
"Now look at that and tell me the wounds weren't deep." Zinan threateningly ordered.  
  
Rin did not move an inch, his eyes on the whip, his breathing shallow with rage. But he miraculously desisted from showing any hints of negative emotion on his face, just the serious matter-of-factness of what he observed. The whip was wrought with something that spiraled around the twisted leather. It looked shiny as if it was a thin metal cord, but Rin could see the miniscule sharp thorn-like protrusions on it. That certainly looked painful and Rin felt sick to the stomach for knowing that this man had used something like this on a human being.  
  
"It looks shiny." He mocked with all the sobriety that he could muster, knowing full well that his remark was going to irk the man more.  
  
The long haired man glared at him with indignant anger at first, but then his pale face broke into a predatory and sadistic smile at Rin's daring words. Even though it was bone chilling to witness, Rin wasn't intimidated by it which had to have fueled the man's enjoyment more.  
  
"You have never been beaten before, have you?" Zinan asked, his voice dripping eagerness, for what, Rin had quite a good guess.  
  
"I have been in fights many times." He answered coldly, returning to his task of cleaning the wounds.  
  
"No, no, silly boy..." Zinan chuckled again, pulling his slave boy onto his lap, making him lie on his stomach upon his knees.  
  
Rin's eyebrow twitched at the sight as the blond started to caress the boy's back from the shoulders to his bottom. "I meant Nanase... He has never punished you, right?"  
  
Rin couldn't help but stop in his work, his eyes widening at the sick insinuation. "He doesn't own me." His reply was quick and a bit heated. It caused the man to laugh at him wholeheartedly.  
  
"Such a privileged little gem you are!" Zinan chortled between his laughs as he continued petting the slave boy. "Does he treat you well then?"  
  
Rin turned his eyes away, utterly unsettled by the man and his words, hastily opening his healing balm and started applying it on the girl, making her flinch and moan against her muffler in pain upon his unintended harsh treatment.  
  
"Hey, hey! You are hurting my dear Meera, Healer-kun." Zinan berated him with a playful voice and Rin bit on his bottom lip, angry at himself for losing control like that. He took a deep breath and looked at the girl's, Meera's, eyes and when she nodded, he went on.  
  
"Why the silent treatment, boy?" Zinan provoked him again. "Why do you get so flustered upon my w-questions? Is it really hard to tell me if Nanase cherishes you or not?"  
  
"Why does it concern you?" Rin couldn't stop himself from asking, his anger getting the better of him.  
  
The Bey eyed him as if he was contemplating on a secret that only he was privy of. "He might not be your owner on paper, but to me you already seem to be taken."  
  
Rin tried to wrap his mind around the double meaning that the man intended. "Taken?" He spat the word. "Taken, as in?"  
  
Zinan enjoyed Rin's confused irritation immensely. "Taken, boy... I meant its all meanings. I think you are literate enough to get that much, huh?"  
  
Trying to keep himself from attacking the man, Rin felt all his muscles go taut and hurt with the effort that he exerted. "I am a healer, not what you assume."  
  
"Then there has to be something special about you. That's why they are keeping you in chains. You are an insolent with a short temper and a lousy mouth, but since there is no mark of punishment on you, I can safely assume that you are no ordinary slave for Nanase and Tachibana. How many gold pieces did they spend on you? You sure can heal and look after the ill; I am impressed by your skill, but is that the only thing you do for them? Maybe you are quite skilled in bed, too, hmm?"  
  
Rin was trembling with a mix of rage and sickness, his face pale and his brows were furrowed deeply. He seriously wanted to attack the man who was watching him with a satisfied smirk, but he came to himself with the small touch he felt on his knees. He tore his eyes from Zinan's poisonous greens and looked down to find the girl tapping his knee with her fingers as discreetly as possible. Meera's black eyes told him to keep his cool, told him to bear with it and not lose himself. Strangely enough, Rin took courage from the girl's eyes and nodded at her.  
  
He finished spreading the balm on her skin and helped her to drink a bit of water, not putting the muffler back in her mouth. A small smile appeared on her face as a thanks and he nodded again.  
  
"Why don't you ask these questions to Nanase-san, Sir? He'd be happy to discuss his private life with you, I am sure." He replied, congratulating himself for causing the blond's face to twist into a mix of disappointment, disdain and hatred.  
  
"You'd suffer for having such a mouth on you if you were mine, Healer-kun." Zinan hissed and spanked the boy on his buttocks, pushing him down.  
  
Rin quickly covered Meera and adjusted her hair and clothes so nothing touched her back, then he stood up. He wasn't willing to stay any longer and watch the disturbed man playfully _punish_ the slave boy. As he went out, he resisted the urge to retort what was on the tip of his tongue, that he didn't belong to anyone, that he was his own man. Because people like this did not deserve to hear more from him.  
  
Outside, he waved off Mahir with a dismissive hand wave, angry at him for leaving him alone with Zinan. He went his way to grab something to eat and try to shake off the horrible feeling that had been forced onto him by the blond. He decided not to talk about this to Ai, considering that he wasn't going to get near Zinan again after tomorrow's dressing of Meera's wounds. But try as he might, he couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling that coiled in him because of the assumptions that the twisted Bey had.  
  
He wandered around the camp for a while and his eyes met Haruka's among the crowd, but he turned away, not wanting the company of the brunet now. In fact, Haruka was the last person he wanted to see after what Zinan had asked him about the brunet. He was also troubled about how Zinan seemed to know more than Rin did. He was aware of the secrecy around Haruka; that some information was withheld from them on purpose, but Zinan's remarks and behavior were more than abrasive. It nearly suggested that Haruka was going out of his way in dealing with him. Zinan had said that Makoto was a kind person, so that only left Haruka who, in Zinan's assumption, was giving Rin privileges and treating him unlike how he'd do to other slaves of theirs.  
  
As he silently mulled over the subject, he couldn't deny the fact that Haruka had always tried to be considerate of him, but to what end, for what reason? The brunet didn't gain anything out of this other than the grief Rin admittedly gave him back, did he? Rin preferred to believe that Zinan was the man with ulterior motives, not Haruka.  
  
It was clear that Zinan tried to flirt with everything on two legs and unfortunately he seemed to have chosen Rin as his new target. Intimidation and lies never worked on Rin, so he counted himself safe against the lecherous man's intentions, but it didn't mean that he wasn't distressed by what the older man insinuated with everything he had said and done. How could Haruka be acquaintances with a man of such foul personality? He understood the reasons relating to business and trade, but eating dinner together while a woman lay there before them moaning in pain?  
  
Haruka had been as uncomfortable as Rin was, he had seen it. But the brunet could have said something then instead of giving the cold shoulder to Zinan and his twisted antics. Rin would like to think that Haruka had called for him yesterday to end the slave girl's pain, and thus remove the reason of Zinan's entertainment. Yet by doing so, Haruka had inadvertently put Rin under the spotlight. Not that Rin was going to complain about it to Haruka; he could handle Zinan's behavior and words by himself. But truthfully speaking, he hoped to never see the man again. And if Meera was going to be spared and be safe from now on, then that was also a form of consolation for Rin to endure the Bey's treatment. But the peace of mind that he had found by thinking this way proved to be fleeting the next day.  
  
Mahir came to fetch him again, as if his company was of any use for Rin, and just as Rin expected, he brought him back to that accursed tent, leaving Rin alone. Really now... Rin could have found the way by himself, what was the use of having Mahir around if he wasn't going to be here wherever Rin was. Mahir's intimidating presence would certainly deter Zinan from croaking whatever poisonous thing came to his mind and save Rin from a potential headache. But he'd rather die than telling his guardian this and make him think that he was weak.  
  
Nevertheless, he entered the tent with the blankest expression he could muster and greeted the Bey without actually looking at him. Without wasting time, he approached Meera who was sitting on the ground this time. She was naked waist up, yet acted as if she wasn't even aware of her nudity. Rin wondered if she was always ordered to walk around like this for her to not be bothered by her own state of undress among so many men. This was truly sick. Rin internally swore at the man and cursed his perverseness.  
  
Zinan was smoking this time, alone. There was only a guard present in the tent and other than him, Rin was the only outsider and his greeting was taken with a simple _hmmm_. Rin did not mind and sat down, Meera turning her back to him, thus both of them facing Zinan. It was as if they were going to perform a show for Zinan's entertainment, making Rin question if the long haired man enjoyed the display and actually did not give a damn about whether the girl he wounded got better or not. That was probably the case, because whenever Rin's eyes strayed towards Zinan, he saw that they were being observed with a half sadistic, half condescending look in the man's vibrant green eyes.  
  
Surprisingly, as soon as Rin sat down and prepared Meera to treat the wounds, someone came in and brought hot water and clean bandages even before Rin asked for them. Trying to ignore the chilling gaze of Zinan, Rin quickly got on with his work, cleaning the girl's back with diluted alcohol.  
  
Today, the wounds were all better, clean and closed with thin scabs which Rin avoided while disinfecting the skin. She wasn't flinching anymore and she looked quite strong now as she sat there silently, her back straight.  
  
"Oh... Look, how she closes her eyes in bliss!"  
  
Rin's head snapped at Zinan's direction upon the comment. It was in Quenaani and it also made Meera's shoulders tense. Rin saw the beginnings of her agitation from the corner of his sight, but he couldn't turn his eyes away from the smirking man.  
  
"You can't see her face from there, Healer-kun, but just a moment ago she had the most euphoric expression I've ever seen on her face." He giggled like a child and puffed out a cloud of smoke. "Say, Meera, you have never made that face even when I fuck you senseless. What is so good about this slave's hands, hmm?"  
  
That crass comment made Rin look away in disgust. Try as he might, he couldn't completely suppress the emotion from showing on his face and that made Zinan laugh at him heartily.    
  
"Healer-kun..." Zinan intoned in that creepily sweet tone of his. "She seemed to have taken a liking to you. What do you say about that?"  
  
Rin refused to grace the foul man's question with an answer and went on with his work, taking out the healing balm from his bag. He told himself that it didn't matter when Meera hung her head upon her master's words as if she was guilty.  
  
"Now that's quite the cruel treatment, boy. The girl would really like to hear your answer." Zinan chuckled, completely relaxed as he smoked and taunted them.  
  
What would be the best approach here, Rin didn't have an idea. He didn't want to talk, but he also didn't want to anger the sadistic man and cause an incident. And somehow Meera's body language told him that she was really upset and humiliated by what Zinan had been telling about her. Or was she afraid that Zinan was going to punish her for this?  
  
"I am honored by the lady's interest." He muttered, not looking back at the man who began loudly laughing at him. Instead of that, he started to apply the balm carefully on Meera. Seeing how his comment visibly relaxed her, he realized that he had said the right thing.  
  
Zinan was close to tears. "Boy, that girl is a slave. She has been this way since she was ten. You call her a lady? Oh, how peculiar you are!" He laughed some more, choking on his smoke a bit. "Meera, you are one lucky bitch. If only Nanase would lend him to us for a night, I would have let him fuck you, dear."  
  
Rin bit on his bottom lip. It was a miracle how he stayed put after hearing that, but he managed. Yet just as he was thinking that this man couldn't get any more sickening than he already was, Zinan spewed another perverse idea of his.  
  
"Healer-kun is said to have cost a hundred gold pieces. Imagine how much the kids born from you two could fetch."  
  
This was the last straw. Rin closed his eyes, his face twisting into a show of anger, hatred and disgust. His body was so taut that he could leap to his feet and kick the Bey in only one move.  
  
"Stop that." He hissed, turning his flame ridden eyes at the man, baring his sharp teeth.  
  
Zinan actually stopped in his blabbering and regarded Rin carefully with narrowed down eyes. "What did you say, you brat?" He asked in a controlled, sinister voice.  
  
Rin did not budge, did not care anymore, heat engulfing his body. "I said shut up, Sir." He bit, challenge and bravado surrounding him. "Taunting the slaves is easy when no one is around. Run your mouth like this before Nanase-san and get your answer from him." He dared.  
  
Zinan's reaction was faster than the eye, but Rin was fast, too. A sharp crackling sound filled the tent as the shiny whip coiled around Rin's left arm from wrist up, cutting into the skin and making him bleed.  
  
"I aimed at her." Zinan smirked sleazily, lying and completely satisfied with what he had done.  
  
"I have just healed her." Rin snarled and shook off the leather menace without even sparing a glance at the condition of his arm.  
  
"You think I won't beat her again? Watching you gently patch her up was quite enjoyable."  
  
Meera was slightly trembling before Rin and he couldn't take the sight. "You do that and then explain what you have done to my arm to Nanase-san." Rin threatened, hoping against hope that if the push came to the shove Haruka would side with him.  
  
Zinan barked a laugh. "Do I look like I give a damn about her?" He blew a huge amount of smoke towards Rin, clearly meaning every word he'd said. "You think Nanase would give a damn about what happens to your arms or hands? Boy, slaves don't need their hands or feet as long as they have legs to open up or mouths to please their masters." He jeered degradingly.  
  
Rin was about to throw up in contempt at Zinan’s reasoning. Thankfully, he knew that Haruka would give a damn.  
  
_"I would care, Rin. If you were to lose these hands, I would feel like I've lost my own."_  
  
"I dare you to do it and face the consequences for yourself." Rin was so sure of himself with a tauntşng smirk on his face that his confidence irked Zinan at first. But then the older man's irritation melted away from his face and filled with his usual arrogance.  
  
"Being so sure of Nanase's reaction, you must be confident of your influence on him, hmm?" He observed, but this was a statement, not a question. "There has to be a reason why he is so lenient with you."  
  
Rin's eyes narrowed down, his smirk fading.  
  
"Are you that good in bed? Do you service him fine that he became addicted to you?"  
  
Color rose on Rin's cheeks and he gnashed his teeth in rage. "I am a healer. I do not serve otherwise. I do not belong to anyone. He spat each sentence viciously.  
  
"Oh, really now?" Zinan mocked, closing a hand on his mouth as if he'd been a mischievous child. "Then are you kept in chains because you resist him and he can handle you by those as he fucks you? Must be such a terrible feeling, because you seem so taken by him. Oh, cruel, cruel world..."  
  
For a moment, Rin thought that his chest was going to explode with all the pent up humiliation and frustration that he'd been suffering. The image that Zinan had put in his mind corroded something in him into a hot mix of shame, hopelessness and self-hatred. Even though he wanted to kill the guy right at where he sat, he knew that he couldn't do it. Instead, he finished his work with Meera and carefully covered her back and nakedness with the largest piece of fabric available and got up.  
  
"I finished my work here." He announced, taking his bag and turning to leave.  
  
"If it is as you say..." Zinan nonchalantly continued to smoke, as if he was talking to himself. "Why do you act so flustered whenever I mention you and Nanase together?"  
  
Rin's whole body tensed at the correctness of the observation.

"Could it be that I am actually damn right and you get this way because you have a thing for him?" Here he began to chuckle, entertained by what he had said. "Like an attraction or a crush or maybe even love?"

Upon hearing that, Rin lost even the enough presence of mind to ask why Zinan cared, what the hell he wanted with him. All he could do was to snarl an animalistic "Die in a ditch, you bastard." and practically run away from the tent with a burning face, eyes ablaze with fury and bone deep hatred.  
  
When Rin emerged from the tent, his haunted look alerted Mahir who had been waiting for him to come out. But the guardian decided to not approach him, because Rin looked greatly disturbed, sick and at a loss of himself. Mahir didn't have a clue as to what could have shaken Rin like this, but he guessed that Zinan or his people had to have something to do with this. He didn't pursue Rin and let him be, going back to his work.  
  
Rin sat behind the nearest tent that he came across, hiding. He didn't know what he was hiding from, but he felt the need to just disappear and be alone. He gazed around himself unseeingly, his mind racing. Anger and frustration drained from him and left only the burnt adrenaline, fear and a sudden bout of insecurity that stemmed from not understanding what he felt.  
  
He was afraid because even though he consciously tried to deny it, it was true that he got flustered with the mention of Haruka. It was true that instead of staying in that tent and proving that there really wasn't anything going on between them like Zinan assumed, he had practically run away, accepting everything the manipulative man had said. And that image the cruel bastard had planted in his head about Haruka doing that to him... He was afraid, because it had hurt him instead of repulsing him. There had to be something wrong with him because the first thing that should have come to his mind was his enslavement and that he was a human being with a mind and heart just like everyone else, just like the others who saw the right to call themselves the masters of others. But instead, the first thing that came to his mind was how Haruka would never do that to him, how the brunet seemed insensitive and indifferent, but never vulgar or cruel enough to do something like that to anyone.

Where was this trust coming from? When did he get so confident in the character of his enslavers? Why the idea of being used like that by Haruka solely because it was Haruka, broke something in him and made him cold to the core? He should feel enraged, right? He should curse and swear at his circumstances, but he didn't even have the energy or will to do that. Zinan's humiliating observations had sapped the will out of him, leaving only the doubt and self-hatred in its wake.

  
An attraction, a crush? He snorted, but it was halfhearted. Love? That was the most ridiculous thing he'd heard in a while. Yet why was he feeling so exposed, so vulnerable now, ready to snap at anything and anyone if only it could make him forget about the maddening thoughts that invaded his mind.  
  
He didn't want to think; the emotion was foreign to him and made him feel awful. He sighed, one hand carding through his crimson hair. Only then he realized how injured his arm was. The part between his wrist and elbow was all bloody and the laceration coiled around his skin as a reminder of the metal infused whip. It smarted quite a lot and he concentrated on the pain. Surprisingly, it distracted him and he decided to leave the wound like that. He'd wrap a piece of fabric around it and let it heal naturally. He didn't expect it, but if Zinan would dare to torture Meera again, he really was going to show this wound to Haruka.  
  
The idea made him smile at himself with self-deprecation. Wasn't this also another reminder that he really was depending on and trusting Haruka even though he was just a slave for him. He felt sick with himself and the subsequent stomachache fueled his bitterness and rebuilt his defenses against the unsuspecting brunet, even though deep inside Rin knew that the only person that he could blame for feeling this way was himself, not Haruka.  
  
He buried his head into his arms and sat there like that until the time he knew Ai would start to get worried for him. He returned to their side of the camp quite late into the night and after sharing a look with his friend, he just went to his bed, forgoing the cold dinner that Ai had gotten for him.  
  
He didn't even get a wink of sleep that night.

-

TBC...

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

On the second night of Haruka’s departure, Makoto was sitting in the stone garden of the store house, listening to the nocturnal noises of Nefer. His hookah and tea beside him, he was going over the letter he had just written.

It was a short letter about Rin, not divulging into some details, even though Makoto knew that the recipient could have benefited from learning them. He tried to be as precise as possible. He signed it and stampedthe bottom of the page. To be discreet, he even sealed it with wax. Together with one of the daggers, he entrusted the letter to Selim who had been waiting for Makoto to finish his work.

Makoto watched the man leave, knowing that before the sunrise their messenger would be close to the borders of Shalbatana. He had a pretty good idea about how many days it would take for it to reach to its recipient, Nagisa. He hoped that his blond friend would send him a response as quickly as possible.

Rin had a peculiar hair color and his talent was making him hard to forget for anyone who had the chance to be treated by him. Makoto was sure that if Nagisa could find a lead on the healer, he would certainly find out who Rin actually was. The dagger would prove to be useful, too. Makoto’s own family were renowned smiths and he was sure that if Nagisa was close to the capital, he could visit his father’s shop and from there, he could start asking around using Makoto’s father’s connections.

This was probably going to take a while to accomplish and Makoto hoped that before he would join with Haruka’s group, he would be able to get a response. Had it been left to Makoto’s discretion, he would have sent this letter long ago, on the first night of Rin’s incident with the daggers. But unfortunately, he had to wait for Haruka’s departure before he could arrange for it. Doing this behind Haruka’s back didn’t suit to Makoto’s taste, but Makoto didn’t want to alert Haruka of his doubts about Rin and his worries about his friend’s behavior around the healer.

Without meaning to, by the hands of pure luck, he had been a witness to Rin and Haruka’s little chat beside the marble fountain. That night, he had been on the second storey of the house, his chair before the entrance of his room. He had been enjoying one last cup of tea before he’d go for the bed.

He had seen Haruka leave his room with a bundle of fabric in his hands. Deeming it unnecessary for his presence to be known, Makoto had guessed that Haruka was escaping to the oasis again. Thus, he had let Haruka be and continued to drink his tea, quickly forgetting about seeing him. But after sometime, instead of hearing the hoofs of a horse leaving the stable, he heard Haruka and Rin’s voices approaching. They had stopped right under his room, near the middle of the garden and beside the fountain. He could see and hear them clearly from where he had been concealed by the shadows. Intrigued by the turn of the events, Makoto did not make any noise and listened in on the conversation.

The way the two had been behaving around each other was tentative and measured, but surprisingly it was Haruka who had seemed to pay extra attention to be so. It was so easy to see how his friend held Rin in high esteem and was having difficulty in showing this to Rin. Yet at the same time he was crafty. Even though Haruka acted like he didn’t care, he insinuated the possibility of a sexual relationship between Rin and Ai to smother his well veiled doubts about the subject. After Rin refuted the idea, Haruka had seemed as nonplussed as ever, but what counted was the fact that Haruka had felt the need to make sure of it. That told quite a lot about what his friend had to be feeling for the healer.

Makoto wondered if Haruka was aware of his growing feelings for Rin. Makoto had never seen Haruka look at anyone like the way he had looked at Rin when the healerhad cried and left Haruka there, wide eyed and totally mystified. It took a lot to leave Haruka speechless and Rin seemed to be a master at it.

Understandably, Rin wanted to be free. He had even said that unless he stood as equals with Haruka, he wasn’t going to believe Haruka’s sincerity. That comment alone had been enough to stun Haruka into hopeless silence.

Makoto could understand Rin’s desperation, but he had been really frightened when he realized that Rin’s words and tears had caused the water in the fountain to boil when Haruka touched the edge of the marble bowl. It had been a long time since Haruka got that upset over something to cause that phenomenon.

The next day, Makoto had hoped that Haruka would approach him about what had happened, but neither Haruka had come to him, nor did Makoto have the courage to open the subject.Makoto didn’t know what kind of urge had made Haruka to buy Rin, but he was now sure that Rin was itching and slowly waking up a dormant side of Haruka likenone had ever been able to before. But was that something good orbad, it was yet to be seen. Because that part of Haruka was raw and primeval. If the ominous premonition that was gnawing at Makoto’s thoughts was anything to go by, this thing between Rin and Haruka was only bound to bring trouble. And Makoto had always been right.

-

The next day of Rin’s distasteful night in Zinan’s tent was the twelfth day of their travel. Even though Rin was thankful that he no longer needed to go the despicable man’s tent, he was worried for Meera. He wondered where the slave girl was, because he didn’t see her among Zinan’s group of consorts. He just hoped that the blond man would leave her alone and not hurt her anymore.But knowing the man’s sadistic tendency, Rin was aware that his wish was an empty one.

The whip lash wound around his arm was still fresh and smarted when he strained his arm, but he was no longer willing to use it against Zinan as he had promised to do so if he were to hurt Meera. He was all too aware of Haruka’s presence and Zinan’s thorny words were still ringing in his ears and disturbing him. For a while, he didn’t want to be alone with Haruka if possible.Thankfully, his hands were full with work and Haruka seemed just as preoccupied as him. But the ever watchful gaze of the brunet was always on him.

That aside, what bothered Rin the most was the gradually disappearing trail of the underground water that he had been trying to follow since the day of their departure. It was disquieting, because they seemed to be walking away from the trail.There had been small wells on their way, situated with two or three days’ walk away from each other on their route, but most of them had been seasonal ones other than the ones close to Nefer. They were filled with water, yes, but its level was alwaysmeasured. The soldiers guarding them demanded money for their use from the travelers so the caravan took only as much as to survive until the next well. It agitated Rin to wander into these unknown lands where there was nothing but a vast barrenness that even emptied his heart of its will and hope. For him, this was a form of torture that only he could understand the extent of.

They had been living on a too small share of water to preserve their stock until they’d reach a well or a water supply and Rin knew that if they wouldn’t be able to find a way to run awaysoon, he’d be drained of his energy before they’d reach their destination.These dark thoughts were weighing on his mind even though he was trying to not mull over them and alert Ai. But he was sure that his good friend was already aware of his growing restlessness and wasn’t saying anything to not agitate him further.

Another night fell on them without any incidents and together with Ai, Rin was eating his dinner in a secluded side of the camp, close to where the animals rested. They could hear the men talking among themselves about how they were expecting to reach an outpost village by the fourteenth day’s dawn if they could keep this pace until then. Honestly, Rin greatly suspected to find any alive water resources there, but dead or alive, water was water.

Contemplating whether to go and fetch some of that awful coffee that Haruka’s men were brewing upon the main fire place, Rin and Ai were simply sitting there when somebody with a tray approached them, face and body all covered. Understandably getting vary, Ai sat up straight and Rin looked up at the stranger with hard eyes. Unfazed, the stranger sat down near them, hands in chains, and offered the tray to them. There were two cups of dark liquid, which was probably wine, and some big dried figs and dates on it.

Before Rin could ask the stranger who they were, Meera untied her turban and revealed her hair and face, surprising him.

“These are for you.” She softly spoke in Quenanii. “As my thanks...”

Rin smiled at the slave girl and introduced her and Ai to each other. “Sorry, I couldn’t recognize you in that.” He apologized for their earlier terseness.

Meera smiled, too, needlessly and self consciously trying to correct her long and unflattering robe which looked quite well worn. “I tend to the animals during the day.” She explained. “So I am given this to wear.”

Rin had thought that Meera was just one of the consorts of the Bey, but apparently he was wrong.

Seeing the puzzlement on her savior’s face,Meera smiled wistfully. “I am the lowliest slave among that man’s possessions; I am made to do all kinds of things.”

The comment twisted something inside Rin and his eyes were drawn to his own shackled hands.

Something must have shown on his face, because Meera drew his attention back on herself, asking. “Why does a healer like you wear those? What have you done?” She looked at Ai, too, her expression was clearly one of disbelief as if she couldn’t fathom how anyone like Rin or Ai would be walking around with bound hands and feet.

Rin shrugged, “To tell the truth, we don’t know either.”

Meera looked at them with huge black eyes, showing her own rusty chains. “In Quenaan, only vicious and dangerous slaves are kept in these, but you two look like decent people.”

“We _are_ decent people.” Ai nodded with conviction, “But our master has to be thinking otherwise.”

“That silent guy with the blue eyes?” Meera looked around as if she was afraid to be heard. “He is nothing like Zinan.”

“Haruka?” Rin shook his head. “We don’t belong to him.”

Meera’s face was sad now. “That’s a pity.” She sincerely lamented. “He really is a kind person.”

“How so?” Ai beat Rin in questioning.

Meera gazed at Ai’s doubtful eyes. “Zinan likes some freak show together with his dinner and that night after he had beaten me, he threw me before your Bey, trying to amuse himself by the reactions he hoped to see on your Bey’s face. But the moment Haruka-sama saw me; he tried his all to persuade Zinan to let Rin-sanheal me. I am really glad that he showed mercy to me instead of ignoring me and continuing his eating.” Then Meera looked at Rin’s chained hands. “If Haruka-sama were your master, I am sure he wouldn’t use them on you. That’s why it is a pity.”

The conviction in the girl’s eyes, the surety of her words amazed both Rin and Ai. Meera was an honest girl, Rin could tell. She really wished the best for Rin and Ai and she had to be thinking that Haruka fitted that description well. “But a slave is a slave.” Rin smiled at the girl ruefully. “Even when we’d belong to him and these shackles would be gone, then there’d bethose tattoos forever branding and sealing our fates. To whom you belong doesn’t matter as long as you are called a slave.”

Meera didn’t blink, considering, her eyes intelligent.“I don’t even remember how being a free person feels like. I was a small child when I was given to that man as ransom.” She confessed, but there was no trace of self-pity there. “I think I wouldn’t have minded if I belonged to someone like Haruka-sama. But Rin-san is right. I am going to be free again or I’ll die trying.” She declared calmly.

For a moment Rin didn’t know what to say to the girl. She talked and acted beyond her years, possibly hardened by the torment that she’d been through since her childhood. It was as if the child inside her was dead. It was no surprise actually, considering how much she had to have suffered through in the hands of that abhorring man. “Those wounds... Why did he punish you that night?” Rin dreaded the answer.

“BecauseI tried to kill him. Again...”

Rin’s eyes widened, his mouth going slack. His gaze involuntarily found Ai’s as if he wanted to see if his friend gave the same reaction.Ai was just as surprised as him, probably thinking that a malnourished, chained down girl like her had tried to kill her master not once but many times.

“Mine is a distasteful story.” Meera shrugged and then pushed the tray towards Rin. “Rin-san, please drink. It is a good wine.”

“Where did you get it?” Ai asked, but could already guess the answer.

“I stole it from him.” Meera shrugged again. “But don’t worry, he’d never realize.” She tried to assure them. But when she saw their distaste, she pursed her lips in regret. “But it seems it was a mistake.”

Seeing that, Rin quickly erased that look from his face and he took one of the cups. “No, this is a gift from our friend.” He smiled. “And drop the -san. It is only Rin.” He raised his cup. “To freedom...”

A bit thrown off by Rin’s quickness, Ai followed suit. “To freedom...” He joined his friend and they drunk their wine.

That made Meera visibly happy as she nodded at them in thanks. “I must get going.” She made her turban again, hiding her hair and face expertly. “Thank you for your help, Rin.” She bowed a bit at him. “And if you can, please tell your Bey that I am grateful for his mercy, too.”

Rin could only look on after the girl, as Meera quickly disappeared among her own people.His lips thinned in displeasure, but not at the girl. He had already guessed that Haruka had a good character, Meera’s words only served to confirm it. He could understand her when she had said that she’d rather belong to Haruka than endure Zinan’s torment. But Rin wondered if Haruka would really unlock their chains if they would have belonged to him even though he was probably aware that Rin could erase the tattoo of ownership. Then nothing could prove their slavery and Rin could simply run away whenever he wanted.

He snorted at the idea. No one would do that after paying that much money, not even Haruka. But he considered, if he had only been a simple healer and nothing more, would he stay with Haruka and willingly follow him around as a free man? Deep down inside, he knew that he would have done so, if Haruka would have set him free and offered him to work for him. Had he not been who he was, Rin would possibly accept it and realizing that made his eyes go teary and hurt his stomach.He couldn’t believe himself.

“She looks ready to die.” Ai pulled him out of his misery with his observation. “I am sure she’ll try to kill him soon again. She has made up her mind.”

Rin took a deep breath, trying to quell the pain in his chest. “That is precisely why he won’t kill her. He has no mercy. He knows that keeping her alive in her captivity is a better punishment.”

Ai’s face scrunched up in disgust. “So he is that kind of a sick man...”

Rin nodded, sipping at Meera’s wine as if to wash away the bitterness that he felt. “That’s why slavery has to be abolished in the whole continent not just in Kissaara.”

Ai agreed with him, but they had no power over the stance of other countries towards slavery. The only thing that they could do was using their political influence to show the others what was the humane thing to do. But their ironical situation told a lot about how much that influence was worth.

The dark mood that hung above them threw them into silence, yet Ai believed that at least they had each other’s company to hang on. He promised himself that he’d save Rin no matter what the cost of it was. He drank the rest of his wine to seal that promise.

-

Just as they had planned, they reached the outpost at the end of their second week. The sand dunes slowly gave way to the hardened earth in sepia colors and there stood the village as a small spot of isolated green. The heavily guarded village had a small garrison situated near it as it was in a strategically important spot. It was close to Nefer; also it wasthe only outpost before the travelers would reachthe capital city of Belili, Harin. There wasn’t an oasis here, but surprisingly the village was green and there were even small trees growing around partly thanks to the six wells which were large and dug quite deep inside, so there was always water even though it lessened and increased seasonally. That was why this village was important.

After Haruka had their papers inspected by the soldiers, they silently took lodgings near one of the wells close to the outskirts of the village where there were less people but more space to move around. They were going to camp here for three days, refill their depleting food and water stocks and rest their men and animals so that they’d be ready for another three weeks long journey to Harin. From there on Zinan’s group was going to split and go their own way to the city of Asvan in Tianna. That was the opposite directionfrom Haruka’s destination, Dain in Ingria.

_Good riddance..._ Haruka thought, silently observing the preparation of the camping tents. He had nothing against the blond Bey, but Zinan’s behavior really disturbed him. That slave girl which Rin had treated seemed better now and he had seen her around Rin a few times since that dinner at Zinan’s tent. He didn’t know what to make of it, because the girl looked meek and calm with a small presence, always trying to blend in. Yet her master was another story. Thatnight, Zinan had been really amused by Rin’s behavior and words, and this meant trouble if he knew that man even a bit. Then again, Haruka wasn’t sure if Rin would come to him and seek his help if the blond Bey had posed any danger for him. Rin was prideful and lately he seemed to be avoiding him for some reason.

Demoralized by the thought, Haruka tried his best to remember their last exchange to figure out if he’d said or done something to frighten the healer away, but he couldn’t find anything. He had thought that Rin would be elated to come to a village with this many water resources, but if possible, Rin was frowning more and his displeasure was not hidden. He only smiled at Aiichiro and at Meera whenever she was near him.

Currently, Harukawas discreetly watching the three of them sitting together, eating the soup and bread that Meera had fetched for them.Noone seemed to care about the new addition to Rin’s following, because his and Zinan’s men knew each other well and preferred their company over the meals and drinks. So it was common to mingle during the rest times.

Not that he cared about with whom Rin preferred to spend his rest time, but he really didn’t want to deal with Zinan if he would get ideas after learning how his slave was befriending Rin.Yes, this was the only reason why he felt a twinge of anger whenever he saw them together, nothing else.

Mentally shrugging at himself, Haruka finished his bowl of soup and told Mahir to follow him, leaving the preparations to his men. He had a place to visit.

His loyal guard after him, Haruka went for the smallest house of the village that was in the middle of the largest garden. There was a packet in his hands with several small pouches within it. He’d take this gift to that house every time he’d travel here.

There in this house lived an old womannamed Matsu that he had met during his childhood. She was alone in this world with nothing but her garden. She was a curious woman who had seen him during his first travels as a merchant and told him that he shouldn’t be afraid of touching the flowers and the trees.

Haruka didn’t know how she had sensed that fear in him as he had been aimlessly walking around the village and admiring the flora. She had smiled down at him, her brown eyes twinkling under the sun. “There will be a day when you’ll make them bloom with the touch of your hand instead of burning them, so don’t be sad anymore.”

That was what his own grandmother used to say to him whenever she’d catch him with a piece of charred flower or branch in the palace garden. Hearing the same thing from Matsu, he was instantly sold. He had pestered her about how she could tell, how she could even know that, but the old woman had only laughed and shaken her head. “Time tells me so my child,the time...”

To this day, Haruka wasn’t able to learn the secret behind the woman’s power, but he was sure that it had something related to his essence of fire. Maybe she had a similar power like his Arinna, because he knew that whatever she had planted in this barren land had given heaps of fruit and vegetable or grew tall enough to cast a shade. The woman had a green thumb that even Makoto was jealous of. And as if sensing that power in her, the village people respected and looked after her well.

“Obaa-san?” Haruka called aloud after he entered from the front garden. “Matsu Baa-san, it is me, Haruka.” He walked on the narrow path between the high beanstalks in happiness for reuniting with an old friend, but the one who had opened the door of the small house was not the old Matsu. It was a neighbor woman.

Realizing that there was something wrong from the passive face of the woman, Haruka rushed in, only to be greeted byMatsu lying on her bed, looking up at him with rueful eyes. “Come, dear child. Do come in.” She invited him in, fondly smiling.

Haruka didn’t need to be told twice. He approached and knelt near her bed, his eyes full of worry. “What happened to you? Why are you like this?”

Matsu chuckled at his question weakly, shaking her head. “Old age happened, child. Don’t fret, I am fine.”

Haruka would have liked to say _No_ , _you look anything but fine_ , yet he held his tongue, trying for a small smile to reassure her. “Yes, you’ll be alright.” He nodded his head. “Mahir, bring Rin here.” He ordered and his man quickly disappeared. “How long has she been like this?” He asked the neighbor woman.

“More than a month, Bey. We have brought in healers, too, but...”

Haruka’s eyes narrowed down,his mouth was set in a thin line of worry. He believed that Rin was surely going to find a cure for her. If only they had known and come here earlier, Matsu Baa-san wouldn’t have suffered through this.

“That look does not suit you, Haruka.” Matsu tried to reach for his face, but her hand was weak and fell short. Haruka caught it in his and squeezed it, trying to look less upset to encourage her mood.“Oh,my dear... Look at you.” She held onto him. “Your power has grown again.” She whispered. Then her eyebrows drew together in concentration. “But there is something different...”

Harukalooked on in apprehension, both at her condition and at what she was murmuring about. “Don’t tire yourself, Obaa-san.” He had never told her what he actually was or how he was known as _the dreaded sun_ in his homeland, but apparently she could feel what lay inside him to some extent.

“No, no... There is a change in the flow of your power.” She insisted. “I have never felt this in you before.” Then she went silent and closed her eyes as if she was listening in on something that only she could hear. Her smile slowly faded away from her face and for a second, Haruka thought that she was going asleep. He turned to the neighbor woman who was busying around the room, catching her attention.

She shook her head and whispered. “She is always tired. She sometimes passes out like that in the middle of a conversation.”

“Who has been taking care of her all this time?”

“We take turns, we have never left her alone, don’t worry, Bey.”

Haruka bowed at the woman in thanks and turned back to the old woman who was slumbering like a little kid. Even though she was ill, she seemed to be at a peace with her situation. She didn’t look in pain and her features were relaxed. It was as if she was happy and content with the world. Haruka had always been amazed at her attitude towards life.He had never seen her complain through all the years he’d visit and be a guest to her house. He really wanted to see her get better.

As he sat there, the door was knocked on and the neighbor woman opened it to reveal Mahir with Rin in his tow. Matsu stirred at the noise and even though Rin tried to be silent with his chains, the old woman opened her eyes.

“Who is it?” She asked, straining to see Rin who quickly came near the bed, already informed by Mahir on the way.

“This is Rin. He is a healer, Obaa-san.” Haruka introduced him and moved aside to create room for the healer to work.

For some reason, Matsu suddenly became livelier. She even tried to get up, but Rin stopped her gently.

“No, no, no... Please lie down, don’t tire yourself, Baa-san.” Rin spoke softly to calm the old woman, but Matsu was getting excited by the minute. She was scrutinizing Rin’s appearance so carefully that Rin barely resisted the need to share a discreet look with Haruka whose eyes were equally filled with the same incomprehension.

“Oh, another one, another one...” Matsu was smiling in appreciation at Rin, as if she had sized Rin up and down to assess his worth and had deemed him good quality.

Rin would have laughed at the old woman’s strange yet cute antics, but Haruka would probably take offense. “Baa-san, what is your ailment, how do you feel?” He asked her.

She laughed, her eyes full of energy now. “Do you have a cure for the old age, child?” She questioned with a mischievous spark. “Tell him it is not a sickness; tell himit is the natural course of life.”

Rin smiled at that, liking her stance against her condition. “Okay...” He conceded, “But I  need to examine you to find if there is anything else that is bothering you.”

She nodded and Rin opened his bag to take out a jar of balm. He spread some of it in his hands and immediately a wonderful smell spread around. His hands went for the old lady’s head, but as soon as he touched her, her eyes went impossibly wide and she gasped softly.

Rin immediately realized that it was not due to pain, but because of great astonishment. His own eyes going wide in alarm. He clenched his teeth. They shared a look and the urgency and desperation in Rin’s eyes were all too visible. In that moment, her eyes shifted towards where Haruka was, but quickly she looked back at Rin again. There was a question in their soft brown depths and Rin understood it without words. Heimperceptibly raised his eyebrows and that was all that the woman needed to relax and smile again.

“What is it?” Haruka asked, his voice full of suspicion and concern. “Obaa-san, what happened?”

Rin knew that nothing escaped from the brunet’s eyes, but now was really not the time for his prying. Luckily, the old lady was an understanding woman and she simply waved her hand at him in a dismissive way.

“You little worrywart, let him do his job.” She chuckled and looked back at Rin softly.

Thankful for her discretion, Rin massaged the temples of her with the balm and then rubbed her joints with a darker and thicker liquid one by one, his mouth moving with his silent words. He made her drink one of his premade pastes and gave the jar to the old lady’s caretaker, instructing her in how to use it. There wasn’t much he could do for her, because just as the old lady had told, she was dying due to old age. This was so unfortunate, because Rin had never seen anyone like her before. His heart was still thudding in his earlier fear, because he was sure that she had felt his power and was about to declare it to the other occupants of the room. He had been this close to being found out, but the old lady had to have understood his need of secrecy and kept silent. That was a miracle, because she had no reason to help him at all.

The old lady was a center. Center people were so rare that they were believed to be just rumors, legends. They had two cores within them when normally every other person on this continent had one. This lady had a core of fire and earth in such a harmony that Rin had never seen the likes of it before. Most people’s cores would generally bein a disarray, their life force misaligned and fluctuating; thus they fell ill. But he was sure that the old lady had never been ill or sick in her entire life other than the small ailments that her age brought in. This lady was a one in a million, and she was going to be lost to them in a short while. How was he going to tell this to Haruka, Rin didn’t know.

Haruka was waiting patiently for Rin to speak, to tell him that Matsu was going to be well and on her feet soon enough. But the healer was silent and Matsu had never taken her eyes from him, regarding Rin in deep contemplation with a small smile on her face. What was that look that they had shared? Why had her eyes gone round like that when Rin had touched her? For a moment there, she had been about to tell something, but then she had looked back at Rin and kept silent. Why was it so? Haruka realized that his patience was wearing thin.

“Rin, tell me something.” He demanded a bit tersely.

Rin was helping Matsu in a half sitting position, putting pillows behind her back. He rearranged her thin cover and leaned back, not looking at Haruka at all. “She is actually fine.” He hid the truth; because how could he say that her organs were slowly shutting off, not because of illness, but due to being old. Everything had their limit and she was regretfully close to hers. “She is tired and she needs rest.”

“You are lying.” Haruka accused. There was anger and disappointment in his voice and Rin felt something twist in his heart.

“She doesn’t have an illness that I can cure, Haruka.” He was telling the truth now, but he still refused to meet the brunet’s eyes, preferring to rummage at his bag to hide his discomfort.

“I don’t believe you.” Haruka spat, grabbing onto Rin’s chained hand to stop his tinkering. When Rin flinched at his touch, his anger flared for some reason, but he controlled it. “What are you hiding, why don’t you look at my eyes?”

Rin clenched his teeth at the intensity of the pain that shot up in his flesh. It had never been like this before. He endured it, still refusing to meet Haruka’s eyes. Instead, he looked up at Matsu, who was watching them with a concerned face.

Seeing that pleading look in Rin’s eyes, Matsu berated Haruka good naturedly. “Child, let him go. What do you expect him to say to you? That I’ll be as good as new, that I’ll trick death for another couple of years?” She snorted at that, still making light of her condition. “It won’t happen, Haruka. Death is not an illness that you can cure; I am going to die soon.”

With her words, Haruka’s hold slackened and his eyes went wide in pained shock. He turned to Rin. “Is she... Really going to...” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question, but saw Rin nod in confirmation. He sat back, shoulders sagging as if his body was closing in on itself.

Matsu sighed at his reaction ruefully and leaned her head on the pillows, her body slowly going lax. “Even though I am immensely happy to be able to see you again, I wish you wouldn’t have to see me like this.” She murmured and closed her eyes again, falling asleep with a sad expression on her face.

Haruka sat there silently for a long time, his eyes emptily gazing at her general direction without actually registering what he saw.

Rin sat beside him and hid his burnt hand, silently healing it before anyone could see it. He really wanted to talk, to say something to console Haruka, but he doubted that it was a good idea, because Haruka seemed to be angry at him for some reason and he didn’t want to disturb the lady’s rest if their talk would escalate into an argument.

The pain that Haruka had inflicted on him unknowingly was like a manifestation of what Haruka had to be going through, so Rin deemed that there was no reason to agitate the brunet further. But apparently Haruka was thinking otherwise.

He procured a key from his shalvar’s pocket and none too gently tugged at Rin’s hand shackles, turning the red head towards him. He unlocked his hands and then went for his feet and discarded the noisy chains away from them, throwing the key towards Mahir who had been standing near the door.

“You’ll be here, looking after her during our stay in the village.” He ordered.

The irate way in which Haruka had undone his chains and the coldness of his tone disturbed Rin, but he held his tongue.

“And never lie to me again, Rin.” With that he got up and left the house, Mahir in tow.

Rin sat there, his ire boiling within him. Yes, he had lied dammit, but had done so to spare him from the pain of knowing that he was about to witness the death of a friend.Mahir had told him that Haruka really valued this patient, thus Rin should do his best. That had been unnecessary; because Rin had seen how worried and sad Haruka was even though the brunet was actively trying to hide it to put up a calm front for the sake of the lady. And what was more, he didn’t need anyone to tell him to do his best for a patient, nor did he need Haruka to order him to look after her. He had already been about to offer his help.

He sighed deeply, rubbing at his sore ankles and wrists. He turned towards the young caretaker and told her that she could leave since he was going to be there for a few days. The woman showed him where some necessary household items were, along with the medicines that the other healers had given to the old lady and then she left.

Alone with his sleeping patient, Rin looked around the small house that consisted of a single big room with a small cellar and kitchen at the far end of the same living space. The room had only the bare minimums of a house,understandable for a single old woman, but it was clean and orderly. He could see that the people had taken good care of her. Yet the eye catching part of the estate was not the house itself, but the garden.

Rin guessed that the lady was blessed with a power that enabled her to grow whatever she planted into whichever kind of soil as long as there was water around. That explained the over abundance of her garden’s crops. That garden was enough to feed the whole village and she seemed to be the sharing type. He wished that he could have met her earlier under different circumstances to learn from her experience, but that wish was not meant to be granted.

“Are you chained because of that power swirling in you, child?”

Rin got startled by her small voice, his wide eyes finding her brown ones. “That... No, that’s not the case, Baa-san. No one knows about it.” For some reason he felt the need to tell her the truth.

“Not even Haruka?” She asked hopefully.

Finding that a bit odd, Rin shook his head. “How much of my power you were able to sense I don’t know, but Haruka knows me as a healer, nothing more.”

A bit crestfallen by the answer, she suggested in good faith. “You can tell him about it. He is a good child, he’ll understand, he’ll share your secret.”

Rin chuckled at that mirthlessly. His eyes reflecting the desolution in him. “Baa-san,” He showed her his wounded wrists, “I am his friend Makoto’s slave. That man has probably gifted me to Haruka, I am kept in iron shackles by them. How can I confide in him?”

Matsu didn’t hide her sadness upon the news, humming to herself in thought as her eyebrows came together in disappointment. “That is so unfortunate.” She lamented with pursed lips.“But here you are confiding in me, my child.”

Rin laughed with derision. “And I don’t even know why I am doing that, either.” He confessed, averting his eyes. “It is just that, there you chose to not talk about what you felt in meeven though you know nothing about me. That kind of trust deserved something of its kind in return...”

“All I know is that you have to hide this and that is enough for me to keep it a secret, child. I am close to death, so it really isn’t hard for me to just listen and not tell. Talking is such a hassle that it makes me fall asleep.” She winked at him, still able to find humor in their dark topic.

“You really are a curious lady.” Rin shook his head at her antics good naturedly. “I can see why Haruka likes you so much.”

“Oh, is that so?” She closed her eyes again, sighing contently. “And I understand the reason of that change now.” She spoke enigmatically, puzzling Rin. “Though, I can’t guessif it is for the good or for the bad.”

“What is it, Baa-san?” Rin had no idea what she was talking about, but she looked quite confident in her observation.

“You’ll see, my child. You’ll see.” Her ever present smile stretched. “Now would you give me some water, talking makes me thirsty.”

Rin fetched some water and infused it with a sliver of his power, now that he was found out there was no need to hide it. He helped her drink it and she seemed to have enjoyed every gulp.

“I have never drunk water so delicious before, thank you.” She commended him.

“Are you hungry?”

She shook her head.

“Do you need anything else, Baa-san?”

For a second, her eyes shifted to something that was on the ground, behind Rin towards the door. “Would you give me that, child?”

Rin saw a brown sack there and brought it to her. When she carefully opened it, she revealed small pouches, each of them carefully tied.

“Ah, new seeds...” Matsu hummed in appreciation and untied a pouch, showing its contents to Rin. “Look, tomato seeds... Oh, and they are even better than the last batch.”

One of Rin’s eyebrows rose. Those seeds were really in good quality and tomato was something people paid a fortune for. “You can even grow tomatoes here?”

Matsu nodded at him proudly. “Everything, child... Everything...” She opened the other pouches one after another and she particularly took out one pouch and hid it in her bosom under her clothes.

Rin smiled at her. “Baa-san, is that really a good idea?”

“It is...” Matsu smiled back. “They’ll be fine. Haruka had picked up the best ones again.”

When she saw the confusion in Rin’s eyes, she explained. Every year, he brings me these, collecting them from the lands he travels to. Then I plant them and grow them. Everyone eats them, sits under their shade, and smellstheir fragrance. We even sell them to the travelers.”

“But that is your power, right? You can probably grow anything you want as long as there is water there... I am sure the quality of the seeds doesn’t matter.” Rin argued.

“Haruka’s seeds are special...” She was certain of it.

“How so?” Rin didn’t see the point.

Her eyes took on a disbelieving look. “Can’t you really tell, my child?”

“Tell what?” Rin asked with some impatience.

She looked at him long and hard and then tied the sack, sighing. “Interesting...” Shechose to not elaborate, frustrating him a bit.Then, she changed the subject. “Even though these are fine seeds, I guess I won’t be able to plant them. Such a pity...”

Rin took the sack from her and put it away, suddenly struck by a thought. “Baa-san, the wells in this village... Where do they take their water from, do you have any idea?”

She thought for a moment, squinting her eyes in concentration. “Child, they have always been here, probably even before I was born, but honestly I don’t know what their source is.”

Rin felt crestfallen a bit. “Do they have a dry period?”

“In the past, there has always been some water even during the driest times of the year, but in recent years some of the wells go dry completely. One or two remains with murky water in them and we make do with what is left until the water levels rise again. But they no longer reach to the levels of my healthy days.”

“I saw that three of the wells have gone dry. The one close to your garden is about to go murky and the one close to our camp is the second one that has a decent amount left in it. This is not the most arid times yet, either.” Rin explained, his eyes glinting with a serious spark. “Near the garrison there were even some people working, digging deeper between the wells with the water in them.”

“But, child, this village is in a trench of sorts, have you not noticed? We are in a lower ground than the surrounding lands.”

Rin thought on that. He hadn’t been paying much attention to the landscape due to the work that was asked of him, but no, that was not the case. “If anything, being on the lower ground should have guaranteed the constant presence of water, helping it filter towards here from the higher lands around. But Baa-san, you are aware that this village will go barren again like it had never had this greenery before when you... When you are gone... Your presence is the anchor that still helps it grow and flourish.”

Matsu silently contemplated on his words. “That’s probably true.” She agreed, regret lacing her voice. “But times are changing, child, everything has to change.”

Rin frowned at her calm show of surrender, anger flaring in him. This village had already been dead. It had died even before Matsu’s time came. The dam on the Arda River was sapping away the whole underground water into the main river basin and drying up the resources that were left even in these kinds of secluded places. Most probably the wells in this village used to have a connection with an underground lake or river in the past and after the dam was put to use, the connection broke and the wells had just a pocket of isolated water supply left under them to feed from. With little to no rain, that water was depleting quickly and the villagers were mistaking it with seasonal bouts of drought. No... The water had been dead here for quite sometime, the aranks of it had returned back to the earth. It was no use to dig in for deeper and larger wells. It only served to delay the inevitable.

For a vengeful moment, Rin wanted to slap this information on Haruka’s face, that all the hard and beloved work of his old friend was going to ruinbecause of that dam he was so protective of, but... That would hurt him and Rin knew that Haruka’s pain would hurt him in return.

“Why don’t you heal those wounds?”

Rin came back to the present with her voice and realized that he had been rubbing at one of the wounds on his wrist. He desisted from sighing deeply, suddenly feeling tired under the weight of his heavy thoughts.

“They’d reopen no matter how many times I’d heal them. So, there is no point in it as long as I wear those chains.”

Matsu fell silent again, thinking. She still couldn’t believe how Haruka would let the healer walk around in them long enough to inflict those nasty bruises and raw wounds. Aaparently so much had changed since she had last seen Haruka, because she had never witnessed him to treat his other men like he had done to Rin, either. It was as if Haruka expected better and more from Rin which was unusual.

That change in the power flow of Haruka, throwing him in disarray like she had never felt before... She guessed that the reason of it was the healer. Compared to him, Rin was more balanced as if he was at peace with what he was and knew what to do with himself at life. Yet Haruka was just drifting with times, letting the river take him wherever it pleased. But Matsu knew that deep down inside Haruka was not content with it, that he was bored of the status quo, and he needed to change. This child, Rin, was going to be the catalyst for that change; Matsu could sense a tension between them. But all she could do was to wish goodness on the two of them as they had a hard path to walk on

“Ah, I am too old to think this much, child, give me a hand.” She made Rin to help her recline back into her bed. “Go out, walk around the garden, pick up and eat whatever you like. You are too young to sit and wait beside an old hag like me.” She chuckled. “I am going to sleep, now go.”

Even though Rin knew that Haruka had to have left guardians around the estate, he did as he was told after putting her covers over her. Just as he expected, one man was loitering around in the garden and expertly feigned ignorant of his presence and another man was sitting in the shade of a neighboring house beside the garden. Rin ignored them and took off his shoes, preferring to walk around on bare feet. He planned to make their dinner, so he went towards the vegetables and considered what to cook. It had been so long since had eaten anything fresh, and his patient needed something easy on the stomach, so vegetable stew it was.

Matsu slept through the evening and well into the night. Alone with nothing to do, Rin cooked dinner, made juice from the apples that he’d picked up together withsome herbs he carried in his bag. After lighting some candles, he opened the door to let the cooler air of the night in only to come face to face with Haruka who was about to knock on the door.The brunet was carrying a bucket of milk for Matsu and Rin took it from him and went to the fire place.

Haruka followed him into the house, mindfully silent for the sleeping Matsu. Coming closer, he checked upon her. She was sleeping as if she wasn’t ill, as if she had no worries in the world. He knew that sleeping this frequently and this long was not something good, but at least she was not in pain or in delirium.

Now that he made sure that Matsu was alright, he stood there, not knowing what to do with himself. It was as if he couldn’t decide on staying or leaving, so he just waited.

Rin made the decision for him. “Eaten dinner?” He whispered, startling Haruka. Receiving a shake of his head, he pointed to the far end of the room. “Sit there.”

Haruka went and sat down on the small pillows obediently, watching Rin work about the fire place.

Rin poured the milk into a clean bucket and hung it over the heart, then prepared two plates of food and brought them to where Haruka was sitting. After taking two cups from the apple juice and some bread, he joined the brunet.They ate in silence, but he could feel Haruka’s eyes on him as if he had something to say to Rin. Rin guessed that it had to be about his behavior in the afternoon, but he really didn’t mind it. Haruka had taken a bad news then, and his reaction had been predictable and understandable. If the situation was different, Rin could even find Haruka’s fruitless attempts at trying to strike up a conversation as endearing, but it only seemed sad now.

“Drink that, it quenches the thirst.” He whispered to save the other male from his struggle.

At that, Haruka’s shoulders visibly relaxed. Just as obediently as before, he drank his juice in a few gulps. “Thanks for the food and the drink, Rin. They were tasty.”

Rin nodded at him and they stood up together, taking their used dishes. Rin was a bit surprised to see Haruka collect the dishes in a washbowl to be cleaned and then procure an old tea pot and fill it with water to hang beside the milk over the fire. Haruka was used to this house’s order and knew where to find and put things. He took out something from his pocket and gave it to Rin.

“One of the men grounded these for you.” It was a small jar of coffee and as soon as Rin opened the lid, a nice smell hit his nose. He looked at Haruka in question and the brunet shrugged. “As a thanks for your medicine.” He explained. “Though I guess you prefer black tea...”

His eyebrows going up, Rin remembered that he should no longer be surprised at how observant Haruka was. “But you like coffee, right?” He murmured back.Haruka’s eyes went wide and predictably to hide his reaction, he turned his head away. Rin bit his lip to conceal his smile. “Okay, you’ll have your coffee, then.”

“Oh, the dinner is ready...” Matsu was awake again and Haruka was immediately beside her.

“Are you hungry, Obaa-san?” Haruka asked and when she nodded, Rin prepared a bowl for her. He helped her sit up and taking the bowl, he fed her even though she weakly protested at first.

“I don’t remember the last time I ate the food cooked over my own fire.” She ate in small morsels, clearly due to her lessening appetite. “It tastes nice.” She commended and Rin smiled at her. When the milk boiled, he took some aside in a cup and put some leaves in it to sweeten it for Matsu. Then he poured the boiling water into an earthen tumbler to cool it down as drinking water for her. While Haruka fed and looked after Matsu, Rin prepared coffee with some of the milk and set it near Haruka. Rin left them alone, taking the used dishes outside to clean them.

“He is a good child.” Matsu eyed where Rin disappeared from.

“I see he has already won you over.” There was a hint of a smile on Haruka’s lips.

“Then why was he chained? He has wounds all over.”

Haruka took a deep breath, gazing into the cup of milky coffee in his hands. “He can always heal them, but he refuses to do so.”

“Then they’ll reopen and he’ll be hurt again.”

“No, Obaa-san... He can make them disappear.” He told her, remembering an old twinge of pain and coolness on his collarbone. “Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it when he first touched you. I saw your eyes; I saw how you desisted from making a comment on it. He can probably erase the ownership tattoo, too. Then he can run away whenever he finds the opportunity with nothing to prove to whom he belonged.”

The Haruka that Matsu knew would talk about it in a neutral way, simply stating a fact, without investing an emotion in it; but this Haruka had fear and some kind of ire in his eyes when he talked about how Rin could run away unless he wouldn’t be chained. This was frightening.

“Does he belong to you?” Matsu observed Haruka’s reaction as well as her tired eyes allowed, and she saw what she needed to see even though the brunettold her that Makoto was the master. Lying did not suit Haruka in the least.

“You ordered him to never lie to you again, but I see that you are the biggest liar here.” She berated the brunet.

Haruka’s eyebrows furrowed and his lips thinned at how easily she had read him. He considered to refute the claim, but who was hetrying to fool? He was shut up as soon as his mouth opened.

“Silence, my child, silence... It seems you have changed too much since I last saw you.”

Haruka could only have felt this much ashamed if Matsu had been his real grandmother. Then again, he was sure that she would have admonished him more severely had his grandmother been alive and seen him.

“You don’t have the courage to shoulder his anger if he knew that his master is you.Makoto is an easier target to shift the blame on, right?”

He closed his eyes at her bitter words, clenching his teeth. He didn’t think that being slapped by the truth that he desperately tried to ignore by someone else would hurt this much.

“Obaa-san, he is just a slave...” He tried to undermine the situation, but his empty attempt made even him cringe at himself.

“Oh, is he?” She pursed her lips, now understanding why Rin refused to confide in him. How could her kind and calm Haruka have turned into a calculating merchant with sinister thoughts like this? Was the reason Rin? “Then why are you afraid that he’ll run away?”

Haruka’s eyes narrowed down at the preciseness of the question.“Afraid? I am just concerned. He can heal anything, he is useful for us.”

Practical thinking had always been a side of Haruka’s character, but this was too much. “So, he is just a valuable commodity...” Matsu’s face clouded even though she didn’t believe a word that Haruka had said. When he turned his face away to close the subject, she sighed. “I see... You have never had a balanced core, but child, here is incomplete chaos now.” She pointed at his chest. “Be truthful to yourself and be careful.”

Unable to meet her eyes, Haruka nodded his head. To hide his distress by doing something, he sipped at his coffee only to burn his mouth with it. Flinching imperceptibly, he realized that he had caused the liquid to boil as he held the cup in his hands, just like he had done to the waters of the fountain that night.He put the cup aside. His appetite was now gone even though the coffee was good.

“You make me think such complicated things in my death bed.” Matsu complained without any real bite. “Now go away, go... I want to sleep.”

He helped her recline onto the bed again and she turned her back to him. Saddened at how she treated him, Haruka whispered a _sorry_ before he went out.

He saw Rin sitting on a wooden chairin the garden, dishes already done. He was eating a fruit as he looked up at the sky. Haruka’s body turned towards the healer in an impulsive urgeand he took a few steps to where Rin was before he squashed that need and stopped himself. But Rin had already seen him.

“Catch it.” He threw him a fruit and Haruka caught it in reflex, looking at it in puzzlement as if he didn’t know what to do with the fruit or with himself.

Rin cocked his head a bit and waited for a reaction from Haruka, but the other male stood in the dark shadow of the house silently as if he was mulling over the meaning of life. Rin had intentionally left him alone with Matsu, but whatever they had talked about had clearly put off Haruka more. For some reason, he wanted to console Haruka and lift up a bit of that weight from his shoulders.

“Is she asleep?” He asked for the sake of starting a conversation, successfully drawing Haruka’s attention. The brunet nodded at him but he didn’t talk.

“She’ll fall asleep more frequently and sleep for longer.” Rin explained with a neutral expression, his face illuminated by the big yellow desert moon. “She is not in pain, Haruka. She is just slowly shutting off.”

Haruka took a deep breath at Rin’s words, unable to tear his eyes away from Rin’s. “Is there really nothing that you can do?” He finally asked.

Hearing the doubt in that question hurt and angered Rin a bit, but he subdued the emotion. “Do you think I would let a person die before my eyes if there’d be a way of helping her?”

Haruka’s eyes hardened at that, still doubtful, still pained. He approached Rin, not wanting the men in and around the garden to eavesdrop on their conversation further. There were a few more chairs scattered around and he grabbed one to sit in front of Rin. “You once said that you help the flow of life find its way...”

“It is only true if there is some life left in the core of that person, Haruka.”

“And when there is none... Would you let your family die, if there is none?”

Rin loathed this talk. In his heart and head he had this talk with himself countless times, countless sleepless nights, but still he wasn’t able to give a truthful answer even to himself. His face took on an edgy expression and the moon light illuminated the torment in his eyes all too clearly.

“I don’t know what you think the limits of my ability is, but Haruka, she is dying. Accept this and let her go in peace. Every living thing has a life span and when it is close to the end, trying to intervene with it will be fruitless. Because there is nothing left to use or to go by with.”

“That’s no answer to my question.”

This bullheadedness of the brunet really grated on Rin’s nerves, depleting his patience and angering him. There were lots of words on the tip of histongue, but if he’d spew them withthe heat of the argument, forget the chains; he’d be locked away in some hole. The brunet was not awarewhat kind of a touchy subject that he was trampling on.

“I have been trying to bepatient with you the whole day, respecting your pain and ignoring how you treated me. But you have no right to ask me that.” He frowned at Haruka, fed up with his persistence. “I have no obligation to answer you, you are not my master.”

For a moment there, Haruka seemed to be about to retort something back, his blue eyes ablaze with emotion, but he swallowed his words with a visible effort to stay silent. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a second. “So be it, then.” He tightly whispered, conceding the argument. He stood up quickly, his face returning back to its usual state of apathy and he left.

Even though he had only stated the truth, Rin realized that he had caused Haruka to return back to his shell and shut him out. With a twinge of regret in his voice, he muttered behind the brunet. “Nobody should try to play the God, Haruka. Especially not a lowly slave like me...”

That comment stiffened Haruka’s shoulders, but he did not stop his brusque pace until he reached to the camp site. _Playing the God, huh?_ He thought bitterly. _What a thing to say to someone who can destroy with his touch and is feared as the Sun itself._

_-_

The next day, Rin prepared Matsu a fruity breakfast. He made a paste from the figs and dates and spread it onto thin pieces of bread with the milk Haruka had brought. She ate a little, claiming that she didn’t have an appetite.

“But you ate your share last night.”

“To not worry him more, child...” She shrugged. “I no longer feel hunger or thirst much. It seems my body do not need them anymore.”

She was probably right, because as he massaged her joints to lessen her pain, he felt that her core was going dimmer and dimmer.

“Is it strange that even though I don’t feel hunger anymore I feel quite fine?”

“No, Baa-san. It is expected.” He helped her sit up. What she was going through was a strange phenomenon where the patients close to death would suddenly feel energetic enough to do things that they weren’t able to do for a long time. It was as if the body was burning itself up with an instinctive response to the approaching inevitable. “Would you like to do anything different today?”

Matsu thought a bit, and then her gaze shifted to the open door and to the outside. “I think I am well enough to sit under the sun today, child.” She smiled.

Rin nodded, “Then, let me arrange somewhere in the garden for you. Please wait a bit.”

Rin cleaned the spot where the wooden chairs were and spread an old carpet on the ground under an apple tree. He brought out some pillows for her comfort and when he turned back into the house, he saw that Matsu was standing on her own feet, waiting to be taken out.They linked arms and Rin took her out tentatively and slowly.

When she sat under the shade of the tree she was really happy. “Would you give me some of that coffee that Haruka gave you?”

Rin wanted to protest, to say that it would tire her heart, but she had such a look in her eyes that he couldn’t refuse her. He went inside and brewed some for the two of them. They drank their coffee in silence, watching the cloudless bright blue sky. Predictably, Matsu couldn’t even finish the half of her share, claiming that it tasted like sand paper. Rin smiled at her analogy, but knew that she was losing her sense of taste, because it really was good coffee.

“How about I cook okras and meat for you, and some pilaf?” Rin wanted to cheer her up a bit and received a contented nod, aware that she was just humoring him. He waited until she slowly fell asleep and then he picked up some tomatoes, okras and onions to prepare her a good meal, thinking that this might be the last thing that she could properly eat.

Matsu slept the whole afternoon and Rin cooked their dinner all alone with the thoughts of Haruka. Now that his anger subsided, he was regretting that he hadn’t been able to word his case better. He didn’t know how but, he had clearly hurt Haruka then even though he should be the one to get angry and feel mistreated. He was in the right, dammit, but he felt bad about it. _What the hell!_ He thought, what right did that obstinate guy have to trouble Rin’s conscience like this? How could he suspect Rin for not doing whatever he could do for Matsu?

He was biting on his lip, so lost in his thoughts that he became aware of his visitor a bit late. Yet it was just Ai with a man who disappeared as soon as the silver haired youth entered the garden.

Ai was bringing him a change of clothes, his hands and feet still chained. Mindful of the sleeping patient, Ai tried to be as silent as he possibly could with them. “These are for you, Sempai.” Ai put the bundle near Rin and sat beside him.

“How did you come here?”

“Haruka-san let me. Though he’s been quite put off and subdued since we came here, he gave me permission as soon as I asked. What is happening?”

Rin was surprised to find out that the brunet had let Ai visit him even though Ai had to be needed for the animal care in the camp.

“An old acquaintance of his is dying, this lady... And it seems that he can’t accept the fact that I can’t do anything to stop it.”

Ai’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is she ill?”

“Ill?” Rin shook his head.“She is old; her body is at its limits. If death from old age can be considered an illness, yes, she is ill. But I can’t turn back time and Haruka refuses to understand this.”

Ai looked at the peacefully sleeping lady, thoughtful. “Maybe that’s not the sole thing that he is upset about.”

Rin turned to him. “What do you mean?”

Ai sighed a bit, not sure that he should elaborate, but Rin raised an eyebrow at him in question, his whole attention was caught as usual whenever the subject was Haruka.

“He had been watching us whenever Meera-san would come and sit with us before this.”

“He has always had an eye on us, what has it got to do with her?”

Ai’s lips thinned at the blindness of his elder. He should really let the sleeping dogs lie if Rin honestly had no idea. “I don’t know.” He lied. “But yesterday afternoon when I was tending Haruka-san’s horse,she came to ask about where you were. Haruka-san was there with me and he was a bit rude to her. He was this close to actually berate and chase her away. Meera was baffled at his terseness.”

Rin couldn’t believe it, because according to him there was no reasonable cause for this kind of irate behavior. “After learning her condition, Haruka left the house at noon. He was quite shaken. So it simplyhas to be a coincidence.” He decided.

Ai didn’t say more on it. Maybe it was for the better if Rin didn’t know that he was suspecting Haruka of jealousy. That would turn things awkward and harder for Rin, because Ai was aware that Rin had been trying to avoid Haruka for some reason. It was really curious, because all these happened after Rin had met Zinan and Meera.

To change the subject, Ai talked about the activities of the camp and Rin told him about Matsu’s ability. Ai thought that losing such a person without getting to know her was such a pity, because she was kind enough to hide what she had felt about Rin’s power from Haruka, even though Haruka was her long time acquaintance.

As they talked Rin healed the couple of wounds on Ai’s feet and wrists even though Ai protested, reminding Rin that he should preserve his energy. “Have you tried the well in this garden, what about it?” He asked,even though he could already guess the answer.

“These wells have been dead for sometime, it happened gradually due to that dam.” Rin explained his theory.

Ai agreed with him.“The animals are aware that they are in danger. This village will be reclaimed by the desert eventually. And they sense that it’ll happen soon. The new well that they are digging up seems to have disturbed them, Sempai, especially the snakes and scorpions. Be careful, I haven’t seen snakes asvenomous as them for quite a while.”

“You people should take care, too.” Rin warned. The dig site was closer to the camp than to where Rin wasandsurprisingly, he hadn’t seen any reptile or arachnid in and around Matsu’s estate.

Then Ai left, saying that he’ll visit tomorrow, too. Thankfully Matsu woke up not long after and he fed her some of the meal that he had cooked. She couldn’t eat much, but at least she had eaten some meat and vegetables.

“You had a visitor, child?” When she saw how surprised Rin was, she smiled. “I was in and out of consciousness a few times, I heard you talking in the distance, but I couldn’t wake up.”She slowly explained. “Though I don’t feel tired all I want to do is to sleep. I feel like new born baby.”

“That is precisely the case, Baa-san.” Rin softly smiled at her and made her drink more water infused with his power.

“It is so peaceful, as if the world is standing still and simply waiting for me to admire it one last time.”

Rin nodded at her, trying to hide his sadness. “Baa-san, do you want to see Haruka?”

“He might get frightened, get sad...” Matsu mumbled sleepily. “Let’s meet him at night, shall we?”

And Rin relented even though he doubted that tonight she would be energetic enough to converse with the brunet.

Matsu was watching the garden and the blue sky, reclining against the tree, mostly silent. But she was sighing deeply every now and then as if she still had some regrets. “This garden will fall to ruin, right?” She asked without expecting an answer, but Rin gave her one nonetheless.

“Your neighbors will take care of it, Baa-san.”

“No, child... You know what I am talking about. Herdesherr’s sands will fill every nook and cranny. Dust to dust... From whence you came, you’ll return back there, right?”

Rin didn’t know what to say, so he did the best thing he could offer. He listened.

“When I was a child, I loved listening to stories about how this desert used to be a forest, how there used to be a sea in the middle of it. My father would swear on gods that he’d seen skeletons of great sea animals buried in the sand.” She weakly chuckled. “I would try to imagine a dolphin jumping out of the sand and then falling back into it, swimming between the dunes. It was so hard to conjure that idea... How could there be a sea here, a forest... Raining everyday with a sun that does not burn...” She stopped and took several deep breaths.

“How could they believe so adamantly that one day, this desert will crawl back and water will invade and reclaim its sovereignty anew. That the forests will flourish and the sun will be gentle again...” She closed her eyes and smiled. “Such marvelous imagination, hmm?”

“No, Baa-san, that is a fact.” Rin assured, catching her attention. “Life, as you have said before, is a circle. Everything has a beginning and an end. Our lifetimes are tiny specs in time compared to the great machinations of our world. We have chanced upon the sands and the dunes, but some other generations will swim over them just like your dolphin in a future that we’ll be long forgotten.”

Matsu’s eyes widened. “Then I hope that I’ll get reborn into such a future to call it even.” She winked.

Rin smiled and wholeheartedly wished the same for his patient.

That night, Matsu fell asleep before Haruka came and didn’t wake up again for two days.

Haruka waited by her side for the duration of that time, not speaking much unless it was necessary. Knowing the fragility of their situation, Rin took the utmost care. He continued cooking meals even though they barely touched them. He cleaned the house quietly and tended the garden as if it was his own. He helped Haruka in looking after Matsu and he eased her troubles and nightmares as she slept.

On the fifth afternoon of their arrival, Matsu opened her eyes briefly and she smiled at Haruka who was putting up a brave front for her with his sleepless eyes and ashen face. She couldn’t talk, but she had enough energy to squeeze Haruka’s hand once before she closed her eyes for the last time.

Haruka sat there beside her bed until the evening, not moving, not crying, not saying anything. He just held her hand and prayed for her soul in his native tongue until Rin sat near him and took her hand out from his grasp to cover her face for her final rest.He got up and left the house, not even telling his men where he was going.

Rin asked the men in waiting to call for the neighbor women to prepare Matsu’s body for her burial. He stayed at her home, overseeing the procedure to pay his respects. Since it was nowquite well into the night, they were going to bury her in the morning.

After she was ready and people started to come and visit her one last time, one of the women gave him a small pouch, telling him that they had found this under her clothes, tucked near her bosom. He remembered that she had purposefully hidden it there when they had opened the bag of seeds. Guessing that it had to have some meaning for her, he decided to give it to Haruka.But he had to find him first.

Just as he had expected, when Mahir came to the house, he put the shackles on Rin again.Without much explanation, Mahir took him back to the camping site in a hurry, telling him that the villagers would manage the rest. Even though Rin asked, the burly man didn’t tell him why Haruka was not at Matsu’s house where he actually should be. When they arrived at the camp, Rin learned the reason. Haruka hadn’t been seen anywhere since he had left Matsu’s house.

The camp was restless. Men were coming and going with lanterns, even some of the villagers accompanying them in their search. Worried, Rin quickly found Ai, a strange sense of premonition filling his mind.

“Ai, can you ask the animals?”

“I wanted to join the men in their search, but they didn’t let me, Sempai.”

“Come with me.” Rin directly went to wherehe could see Mahir who was managing Haruka’s men.

“Mahir, let us go with a group, we can be of help.” He tried to persuade the brusque man.

“Bey told me to always keep an eye on you when he is not here. I can’t let you go.”

“Then come with us. The more people search the quicker we find him.”

“I have to stay here.” Mahir was unreasonable and Rin was getting frustrated by the second, because the bad feeling in his chest was growing. But then he flinched with the voice of the last man that he wanted to see coming behind him.

“If so, then I shall keep an eye on them in your stead, Mahir. I want to join the search, too. I am worried for Nanase.”

It was Zinan, accompanied by two of his guards, with a fake mask of worry plastered on his face. Rin wanted to rub that mug on a jagged rock.

Mahir eyed the blond Bey and nodded, quickly relenting. “If it is Zinan Bey, it is alright.” He declared even though Rin tried to say that they could have been entrusted to someone else. Mahir had made up his mind. “He is last seen going towards the north, most men are heading there.”

Zinan put one hand on Rin’s shoulder and squeezed it painfully as if to remind who the boss was here. “The healer-kun here will show us the way, thank you.” He spoke with sickly sweet intonation.

Ai was disturbed by his elder’s discomfort, his body getting tout, instinctively readying himself to attack, but Rin stopped him with just a look of his eye. “Yes, let us show you the way, Sir.” He stepped away from the blond’s touch, politely bowing his head to keep up the appearances. Then without waiting for him, Ai and Rin took off, hurrying to north where the garrison was.

Cursing his luck for being stuck with Zinan at such an unfortunate time, Rin tried to quell the brewing ache in his stomach and followed Ai who seemed to move with more purpose. Ai was searching for an animal on their way and Rin wondered how they were going to hide Ai’s power from Zinan. Then again, he could simply say that Ai was bought just because of that power of his. Who was Zinan to interfere?

“I see you are really worried for him healer-kun.” Zinan’s voice was quite nonchalant as if he was not searching for a lost person but going for a stroll for the hell of it. “Why is the hurry? You can walk faster than us even with those chains.”

Even though he couldn’t see the taller man, Rin could sense the mocking smile on the Bey’s face. “I thought you said you were worried, Sir.”

“Oh, I am, I am... As a friend and business partner of his. But what are you? Under what name are you hurrying to his side?”

The way the older man talked with Rin caught Ai’s whole attention. He glanced at his elder. But Rin was just searching around, gnashing his teeth in clear agitation.He didn’t answer in hopes of discouraging the blond man, but Zinan continued with his taunts.

“No answer, huh? You never cease to amuse me, healer-kun.” He chuckled and thankfully fell silent for a few minutes as they passed through the village.

Ai could finally see a couple of small prey birds perched on a roof and he went towards them, looking up at the birds intently. When he stopped to concentrate better, the group stopped, too, not aware of what Ai was doing.

Zinan’s face twisted at Ai, who had to have seemed like a mad man in his eyes. “Hey, why did we stop? Walk.” He ordered.

To give his friend time, Rin interfered. “Please wait a bit, he must have realized something.” He turned towards the man who was now smiling at him with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Oh, so you can speak when you need.” He sized Rin up and down as if seeing him for the first time. “If you want us to go on searching, answer me when I speak.”

Rin wanted to strangle the smug man with his bare hands, but alas, he’d be dead before he could rid the world of him. “As you wish, Sir.” He bit just as the birds took flight, one going north and the other to the northeast where the new well was being dug. So Rin quickly started to walk again, hoping that Zinan didn’t suspect anything.

“The birds will search for him, too.” Ai whispered and saw Rin nod at him in thanks.

“I see that you became good friends with Meera, the two of you.” Zinan was now walking beside Rin. “But Nanase seems to be not very fond of her now, even though he was the one who chewed my ear off the whole dinner for her to be treated.”

Eyes widened and troubled more by Zinan’s words, Rin couldn’t help but ask. “Why do you think so?”

“Think so?” Zinan snorted. “Boy, I know so. I have ears and eyes everywhere, just like Nanase does. And speaking of him, he really has a good sense of timing, eh? Disappearing right before the funeral of his acquaintance...”

Rin bit on his lip, remembering what Ai had told him about Meera and Haruka a few days ago. Then, that was no coincidence and Haruka had really been upset with him, too, because of her. But why, he didn’t understand, didn’t have the time to think.

Since most of the people were going to the general direction of where Haruka was last seen, they were joined by other men and fortunately that shut Zinan up for now.

One of the birds returned and Ai dawdled on a bit again to hear it out and Rin stopped to pretend to empty his shoe as if there was sand in it. Ai nodded towards the east and Rin led them there, a bit mystified to realize that Haruka had gone to the digging site, where there was no populace but only the wilderness.

“The bird says that a stranger was seen coming this direction. I asked her to look for him once more.” Ai whispered and Rin shouted at the men in their vicinity to follow them, that they had a lead. More men approached and with the help of the now risen moon, they left the houses behind, now walking among the small shrubs, wild thorny vegetation and pieces of rocks.

“Be careful.” Ai warned, his eyes alert. “There might be snakes and scorpions. Make enough noise to frighten them away.” And as soon as he finished his words he saw a snake slither away and he stopped in alarm. “That’s bad... That’s really bad...” He whispered for Rin’s ears and then he shouted. “Any villagers among us? Anyone?”

A man raised the torch that he was carrying in answer.

“Say, have there been any cases of snake bites or scorpion stings in the village before?”

Understanding dawned on Rin when the man stopped and actually looked to be searching his mind to remember.

“Just a few instances, I’d say... But none happened in the houses or the gardens as far as I know.”

That could be because of Matsu’s presence, yet again. And now that she was gone... Rin felt physically ill at the thought of what might have happened to Haruka. “Go and warn the villagers. Tell them to be cautious of snakes and scorpions from now on.”

The man looked at them in puzzlement, but when he saw Rin’s ashen face, he hastily turned back towards the village.

Now a bit vary of the possible danger that might be lurking around, the men’s advance slowed down, but Rin was walking as fast as his chains permitted. His heart started to run a mile when he saw that prey bird lowering to the ground in front of them to the left and began to chirp in a sharp and distinct way.

Ai shouted. “He is there!” And everyone broke into a run, except for him and Rin who were restricted by their chains.

Rin bitterly cursed, tears springing to his eyes with an emotion that he couldn’t even confess to himself.

When they arrived, two people were already jostling Haruka in hopes of waking him up. “No! No, don’t do that, no!” He shouted, immediately falling on his knees near the brunet, suspecting of a snake bite. “Sit him up, sit him! Gently, don’t move him much, be gentle!” He wasn’t aware that he was shouting.

The men who knew that he was a healer fell back, forming a circle around the ones on the ground, providing illumination and creating space for Rin to work.

With shaking hands, Rin touched Haruka’s face and with a sharp intake of breath he realized that he had been bitten by a snake, not once but twice. Hewas too cold with shallow and slow breathing, his heart weak and slow. The earlier tears that had collected in Rin’s eyes tumbled down and he painfully bit on the inside of his cheek to control himself when he realized that Haruka was dying. Not even understanding the questions of the surrounding men about how Haruka was in the cacophony of all the noise that the collecting men was creating, Rin shouted again to shut them up.

“He has been bitten twice! Now be silent for god’s sake and let me help him!” He ordered. The urgency in his tone and the fury on his face killed the whole noise as if he was not a slave but a Bey in his own right. He grimaced, his mind swirlingat the feeling of death that he could sense crawling within Haruka.

He could feel that Haruka had been in this situation for at least three hours and it was a miracle that he was still alive. Rin had no choice, he couldn’t treat something like this with the primitive medicine he had about and he couldn’t risk Haruka lose his life. He shared a look with Ai and then put his hands over the weakly beating heart of the brunet, closing his eyes. He focused on the brunet’s core, reaching out for him, suddenly hit by a strange feeling as if he had treated Haruka before. It was not about the time he had healed the collarbone of the brunet, because then he hadn’t reached to Haruka’s core but used only his own power to mend the damage. This was a nostalgic feeling as if Rin had known how it felt like delving deep into the brunet’s core and filtering it with his own to purify it. Normally, Rin hated using his own life force and core to cure others, because it depleted him immensely both physically and mentally, leaving him weak and vulnerable for days to come. But he was using himself up willingly now.

For the onlookers, it looked like Rin was in a trance of sorts, not doing anything, just sitting there when in fact Rin was using his own energy to replenish Haruka’s, finding the spark of life within his core and helping it to drive the death away before it crept in Haruka completely.

The venom of the snake was potent and Haruka had lost a good amount of blood due to one of the bites being on a vein. Rin mended the wounds that were located on his left feet, saving it from certain disfiguration due to necrosis. He restored the health of the collapsing organs, beads of sweat trailing down his skin even in the coolness of the desert night.When the venom was cleaned from Haruka’s body completely, Rin mended his nerve system, feeling that Haruka’s breathing returned normal and his heart regained its strength.

Haruka was now as good as if this had never happened and Rin was unashamedly happy for saving the brunet’s life. His own heartbeat turning shallow, Rin opened his eyes,but he couldn’t see anything. A bout of extreme fatigue hit his head like a ton of bricks. He groaned in misery and felt being caught by someone just as he was falling back to the ground. He could hear nothing even though the men were creating a ruckus this time over him. His face and hands were going numb as if prickled with hundreds of pins and needles. His nape and shoulders were getting stiff in a painful way that would make an ordinary man cry in agony. But he couldn’t even make a sound, trusting Ai to take care of him before he lost his consciousness.

-

The next time Rin opened his eyes was two days later the events of Haruka’s disappearance. He was completely disoriented with a queasy stomach and a horrible headache, his whole body throbbing in unison with ache and exhaustion. He thought that if he’d move an inch he’d throw up even though his stomach had been empty for several days now. Ai was with him and he tried to help him with a stricken and worried face even though this was not the first time he had seen him in this state.

“How many days?” He asked, clenching his teeth.

“You have been out two whole days, Sempai.” Ai answered, sleepless but happy to see him awake.

That was longer than the other times that he had to use his power. His lips twisted into a miserably fake smile. “Lucky~” He drawled; only now understanding how much of himself he had to burn to save Haruka. “How is he?”

“As good as new...” Ai bit, contempt lacing his voice. “He woke up in the morning of that night. Just a bit tired and anemic, that’s all. He was even able to attend that lady’s funeral.”

Even in his state, Rin could tell that Ai was angry and on edge, so he changed the subject. “Where are we?”

“We didn’t move out of the village. Haruka-san insisted to stay until you wake up and get back on your feet. He ordered his men to prepare this tent for us.”

Rin looked around, frowning a bit. “He’ll have to wait at least two days if he really wants to see me back on my feet.” He grimaced and took a deep breath in hopes of settling his stomach.

“That probably won’t happen, Sempai. Men say that they had planned to stay here for three days before these things happened. Now we are on the night of the seventh day and as it seems we will only be able to leave tomorrow afternoon if we can finish loading the animals by then. Everyone is so restless.”

“So you are, Ai, what happened?” Rin finally asked what was on his mind.

Ai scratched at his face in a show of frustration, worrying Rin more. “The camp is abuzz with gossip of all kind. People are fascinated by what you have done there. Especially Zinan...”

Even the mention of the blond man made Rin’s hair standon end, but this result had been inevitable. “He really was about to die, Ai. I had no choice.”

Ai’s face took on a serious countenance that he rarely assumed. “I am not questioning your verdict on that matter, but you really wasn’t yourself that night, Sempai. I have seen you treat mortal things like this before, but the only time you acted like this was when Gou-san fell from that small cliff onto the rocks and bled from her mouth.”

Rin averted his eyes from Ai’s honest ones. “I accept that I acted out of character, but...”

Ai interrupted him. “No, that was exactly your true character that you could no longer hide there, Sempai, don’t try to cover it.” He looked at his elder’s bewildered face before Rin turned his head away in shame. “And the way that Bey spoke to you... I know what he was insinuating back there and it is high time that you should face it yourself, too.”

Rin tsked and closed his eyes, taking long and deep breaths to calm himself. “You used to be wary of speaking your mind before me to not anger me.” He smiled ruefully. “Now I miss those days.”

“A good retainer always speaks the truth even when he knows that he might anger his lord.” Ai told him. “And I am trying to be one.”

For a moment Rin lay there silently, unable to put his thoughts and emotions in an order. He simply didn’t have the energy. “You are good to me, Ai. Both as a retainer and as a friend.” He commended him. “I’ll do as you say, but first, I really want to sleep.” He mumbled, having difficulty in keeping himself awake.

Ai nodded at it and helped Rin drink a little water. Even though he offered him to bring some soup, Rin refused and quickly fell asleep again.

Ai continued his watch. He had been released of hisduties in the camp by Haruka and he looked after Rin well thanks to him.Even though the brunet had stayed beside Rin as much as he could, clearly upset and very worried, Ai did not inform him of Rin regaining his consciousness.He knew it was heartless of him, but Rin needed to rest now, not more trouble added to his mind by talking to Haruka. Rin was in a completely vulnerable state and it was Ai’s duty to protect his physical as well as mental health.

It had been truly unfortunate for Rin to be forced to cure Haruka from certain death in front of so many people. The camp had been talking about Rin nonstop. Haruka’s men were now completely fascinated by Rin, since most of them had already been cured by his handmade medicine. Haruka seemed to be disturbed by it, because everyone, including Zinan’s group, was making guesses about why Rin was chained like this when he had such a useful talent. Most men thought that Rin’s power deserved respect, so he should be unchained. But they also said that even before Rin had showcased his ability, he had cost a hundred gold pieces; now that people found out about him, he would cost a fortune and no one would like to lose an asset like him after your life was saved by him.

Ai guessed that Haruka was keeping silent about this because he wanted the buzz to die down by itself to not attract anymore unwanted attention, but if the push came to the shove, he could easily order the men to shut up. Haruka’s lot was loyal and they’d obey. But what about Zinan’s group?

Zinan was really dangerous and Ai had loathed him thoroughly when he had seen the hungry and calculating look that the man had in his eyes.Ai wondered why the blond man was letting Meera visit Rin even after Haruka had clearly shown her that he wasn’t happy with seeing her around their side of the camp. The poor girl had come to the tent twice to ask about Rin’s condition, but she could only stay for a few minutes in fear of angering Haruka. Maybe watching her and Haruka was entertaining Zinan, so the twisted man was simply not interfering to amuse himself, Ai thought.He had to be either really sadistic or really bored to derive pleasure from such circumstances and Ai suspected that Zinan had a lethal mix of the two.

-

In the morning of the eight day in the village, Haruka was overseeing the men getting packed up. He had sent Mahir to the garrison to deal with the paper work, choosing to stay in the camp to remind everyone that he was out and about, so they should do their job instead of running their mouths.It seemed to do the trick, because now everyone was busy with loading their cargo and the provisions that they bought from the village people.

Haruka was still dizzy due to the blood loss from the bite wounds, but work was good. Because if there had been nothing to do, he knew that he’d spent all his time beside Rin even though Aiichiro made him feel that he wasn’t wanted anywhere near Rin. He could understand the silver haired youth’s contempt towards him, because his foolishness was what had put Rin in the state that he was currently in. He couldn’t forgive himself for it and was aware that he had no right to expect it from Rin or his friend, either.

What Rin had done for him, even his mind was unable to comprehend it truly. That night, he had been walking outside of the village blinded by his mourning, not paying attention to where he stepped on. The next thing he had known that he was screaming on the ground after the lightening flash of  pain  that zapped into his flesh twice from his left leg. Haruka had been bitten before a few times as if the snakes had a thing to duke out with him whenever they chanced upon him. But none of those bites had hurt this much and he had been lucky enough to experience them with company near him where they had quick access to antivenin made from horse blood. But there, he had quickly realized that he was done for because he hadn’t said where he was going to anyone, and his leg had already gone numb even though it had felt like he had stepped into boiling oil. He had tried to get up, to get away from there, mindful of the snake, which was impossible, because his whole world had narrowed down into a load of agony and torment. Then, he had believed that he was going to die there and with some luck people would find his body in the morning before wild animals could take a few bites off of him.

He had internally laughed at his predicament, knowing that Matsu would be so angry with him had she known what had happened to him because of his own carelessness and weakness. But she was no longer there to do that, not even Rin. And the idea had hurt Haruka then more than the venom that coursed his body.

Haruka could remember that until the moment he had lost his consciousness, he had held onto the possibility of being found by Rin, not because he had believed that his life would be saved by Rin somehow, but because he really wanted to see the red head one last time. Now when he thought about it, something within his chest was tightening, but he didn’t hate the feeling.

It was such a pity that all he could recall about that night was a dream that he had seen, much of which was forgotten when he had regained his consciousness. In that dream, he didn’t have a corporal body, he only existed. But his existence was painful and he wished for death. And then he was washed, not with physical water, no. His very essence was ridden from the pain, the death that was trying to seep into his core was untangled knot by knot, leaving him just as he had been before, as if nothing had happened to him, as if he hadn’t been lost in a world of pain.

Even though he thought that the dream was just a trick of his clouded mind, the moment that he had woken up, he knew that it had been Rin who had rescued him from certain death. But when he had seen at what cost this had happened, he couldn’t feel happy for being saved. Aiichiro had been tightlipped about why Rin was like that and he had told him that nothing could be done for Rin, except letting him rest. So Haruka tried to provide him the best rest that he could offer by giving them a tent andsending in good food and fresh milk frequently.But that had to end tonight, because they had to leave the village by the nightfall. Zinan’s group didn’t have to wait for them, but the other Bey did so out of curtesy, genuine or not. And they had fallen behind their schedule. He had sent his hawk to Makoto to inform him of what had happened here, so he believed that Makoto would rearrange his group’s pace, too. They planned to walk without stopping until the next day’s nightfall, so Rin was going to ride on a horse with Ai. He could already imagine what others might think when they’d see the two slaves given a horse, but he couldn’t care less.

When the last meal was cooked over the camp fire and he ate his share, Haruka took a bowl of soup and bread and went to the last standing tent, Rin and Aiichiro’s. The younger youth silently gazed up at him, understanding his intend, but he didn’t leave.

“You might want to get your dinner and then ready a horse for you and Rin to travel on.” Haruka offered, trying to act nonthreatening. After Ai complied to him reluctantly and left the tent, Haruka sat beside Rin who was sleeping as if he had been knocked out of consciousness. There were dark circles under the healer’s eyes and his face was gaunt with a sickly color about it. He looked as if he was about to die and Haruka clenched his teeth at the idea. He was loath to wake him up, but he had to. They were about to leave the camp within a few hours.

He called the healer’s name a few times, more loudly each time; but when Rin didn’t wake up, Haruka jostled him a bit from his shoulder with a bit of fear.

Rin blinked into wakefulness with a miserable groan, his head swirling, his stomach lurching. “Oh, please kill me!” His hands shot up to his head as if he could physically stop his nausea.

“Rin, it is me.”

That voice helped him to reorient himself as he realized that Haruka was with him. He took a few deep breaths and gulped dryly as if he could swallow his stomach back before he was able to open his eyes and looked at him. “Morning to you, too.” He grimaced, not feeling friendly even a bit.

“I am sorry for shaking you, but I called your name many times and you didn’t even stir.”

“No wonder, because I am half dead.” Rin didn’t know why he was being antagonistic even after he saw and heard the worry on Haruka’s face and voice.

“I am sorry.” Haruka apologized again, not hiding the guilt he felt from reflecting in his eyes. “But I had to wake you up. We’ll be on the road again within a few hours and you should eat something.”

When Rin saw how tormented Haruka’s blue eyes were, he sobered up, letting go of his needless ire. “So it is already the evening...” He turned his eyes away from Haruka’s unable to look at the unique mix ofguilt, fear, hope andgladness that played on the brunet’s face. “Where is Ai?” He asked, hoping to erase that strange show of emotion from the other male’s features.

“Gone out to have his dinner and arrange a horse for the two of you.” Haruka didn’t get upset over receiving the cold shoulder from Rin, since he believed that he deserved it. “And I brought some soup for you.”

Rin knew that he really should eat if he wanted to get better as soon as possible, but he wasn’t sure if his stomach could keep it down.“My medicine bag... Can you find it?” There was avial of a strong antiemetic herb extract in it, Rin hoped that it would help.

Haruka quickly found and brought it to Rin’s side. Realizing that the healer was trying to get up, he put a hand under Rin’s shoulders as he cradled the back of his head with the other, not aware that he had stunned Rin into complete silence and stillness.

Wide eyed, Rin couldn’t even protest when his body was hauled into a sitting position by warm gentlehands carefully. Even though Haruka had lifted him up slowly, Rin’s whole world shifted and narrowed down into Haruka’s touch and smell. If he had been healthier, he’d been red to the tips of his ears, but all he could do was to whimper as an extreme feeling of vertigo hit him and he clung onto Haruka’s chest as if his life depended on it.

Alarmed by Rin’s distress, Haruka cradled him to his chest like a child. “Sorry, Rin.” He clenched his teeth. “I just wanted to help.” He could feel Rin trembling and it only added to the guilt he felt.

“I know...” Rin bit between his teeth. “It is alright.”He had no choice, but to let his nausea subside in Haruka’s arms, because he neither had the energy nor the will to get away from the sunshine smelling embrace. His body relaxed and he closed his eyes, sleep ready to claim him yet again, but he resisted. “This is bad...” He mumbled. “I want to sleep.” He wasn’t aware that Haruka was watching him above with open marvel in his eyes.

“You can...” Haruka was barely desisting from touching Rin’s hair. He didn’t even care how matted and wet it was due to sweating. He just didn’t want to let Rin go after hearing that he trusted him enough to want to sleep in his arms.

“But I can’t. I need to eat and pack up and clean myself. I have so much to do.” Rin smiled dejectedly, both at his current situation and at how ready he was to stay like that forever if only Haruka would let him be.

“Then you should start somewhere.” Haruka offered with a small smile of his own. With great reluctance, he let Rin go and helped him sit straight. Putting the tray on the red head’s lap, he opened the bag of medicines and gave the vial of a crème colored liquid that Rin pointed at.

Rin poured a bit of the medicine into his soup and tried to eat as best as he could, not willing to go through the humiliation and embarrassment of being fed by Haruka. As he fed himself, Haruka was silently folding the clothes and whatnot around the tent, both to keep himself occupied and to create a reason to stay longer. “You shouldn’t do that. You are a Bey.” Rin believedthat Haruka was helping him inorder to satisfy his own need to silence his conscience. He knew that the brunet was feeling guilty for putting Rin in this situation, but there was no need to feel like that even though Rin thought that Haruka was a good man for having a conscience enough to help and apologize from a slave.

“I do this, because I want to.” Haruka went about his work, meticulously arranging Ai and Rin’s meager belongings. “Not because I feel guilty, or anything.” He explained, and then perked up and looked back at Rin. “I feel guilty, but this is not about it. I just wanted to be here.”

Rin had to be the one to avert his eyes, because damn that Haruka, he could say the most embarrassing stuff with such a straight and honest face that Rin also felt embarrassment in the brunet’s stead. Not knowing what to say, he hung his head and ate more of his soup and bread.

Haruka hadn’t been expecting an answer. Rin had the right to not believe him even though it hurt a bit. “And I wanted to thank you for looking after Matsu Baa-san.” He changed the subject. “I am truly glad that she was content and happy in her last days thanks to you.”

Rin blinked at him, swallowing. “No, it was you.” He corrected. “She was so glad that seeing you must have eased her passing away.” Haruka seemed to feel bad about it, too. “Don’t blame yourself for not being able to spend more time with her. She knew that you had responsibilities, that you were sad and angry.” Upon his last words Haruka turned his face away, his eyes narrowing down in what Rin correctly guessed as self contempt.

“You were angry at yourself for being unable to help her, but you were also angry at me. I know you still are, deep down inside.” When Haruka visibly stiffened at but not rejectedwhat he had said, Rin smiled ruefully. “You can’t understand how someone who can save you from certain death is unable to help a good woman.” He could clearly see that same shadow of doubt on Haruka’s face, painted with hurt andanger. Rin wanted to soothe away that hurt and erase that pain from those eyes, but he really couldn’t do that unless he’d explain what he actually was. And he’d never do that, not as long as he was a slave.

“What I did for you, is to use my own energy to feed your life source that had depleted. When I put my hands on someone, I can sense a spark in them, in their core.” He tried to explain, without divulging much. “Yours was bright, still struggling to keep on because it was not your time to go. So I just poured my own life into you, using it to refuel your spark and filter your ailment with my own life force to purify yours so it can return to its earlier state of stability.”

Haruka was all ears and his eyes had that unnatural spark in them now. Rin internally swore at himself, but he decided that telling this to Haruka was a better option than him suspecting that Rinlet Matsu die.

“When I touched Matsu-san, that spark had already been about to extinguish.” He continued. “Haruka, you should understand that old age can’t be cured, time can’t be reversed. When your preordained time comes, you have to go. If I had done the thing I did for you to Matsu-san, I would have disrupted the natural course of the things. Her mind would have eventually die, because her core would have reached to its limits. Those two are connected and together they make up what we call as us. But Haruka, her body would have lived on as an empty shell because of the fuel of life I would have poured in her. I can’t interfere with destiny. If I sense that a person’s time is meant to stop there, I step down. But as long as I see a spark, I do all I can.”

In all honesty and with every sense of the word, Haruka was fascinated by Rin. He was speechless and couldn’t take his eyes away from him even though Rin had already broken their eye contact and was now looking down at his bowl of soup as if to hide in it. But Haruka should have been the one to hide, really. He should have felt ashamed forsuspecting that Rin would discriminate between people even after witnessing how he had tried to cure a criminal. He should have juststop ruining Rin’s life and let him go, really. But gods help him, he couldn’t, his chest hurt with the intensity of that emotion, but he couldn’t.

Matsu’s words rang in his ears, mercilessly accusing him of being unjust, being dishonest, and being deceptive. But here he was, swallowing down all her well made claims, completely unable to find a way out of his own swamp of emotions. All he could think was that here he was, the revered and feared sun, who could burn even a person down in to a piece of coal with just a touch of his hand. He was unable to reflect the life giving aspects of his power even when the spirits under his will could do so. He was this weak and useless, but Rin was... Rin was the complete opposite of him. His heart was big enough to donate his own life to others, risking being on the verge of death himself, just to save them. How could he not be fascinated by someone like him? How could he let Rin go when Rin was all what he wished to be like? The twinge of jealously within his heart only fed his fear of abandonment, yet not even that feeling was enough to persuade him to be true to himself or to Rin like Matsu had advised him to be.

“I... I am sorry for doubting you, Rin.” His voice cut the uncomfortable silence like a knife. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I took out my frustration on you.”

Hearing that, Rin sighed silently as if a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. He was unable to meet the intent eyes of the brunet, but he smiled softly. “You have apologizedto me four times today, this is a record.” He pointed out.

Not even a hundred apologies could veil the guilt that Haruka had dug himself into. “It seems it is all I can do well since the time we have met.” If only the healer knew the true reason of his apologies...

“But at least your face has a larger range of emotions to show now. That’s an improvement.” Rin chuckled weakly at the unguarded look of confusion on Haruka’s face before he schooled his features back into his usual look of serious aloofness.

_If only you knew, Rin..._ Haruka thought, hiding his sorrow by finding solace in Rin’s mirth. _I wonder how much you’d hate me then._

-

_TBC..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Being able to get cleaned after so long felt so good for Rin even though he would have preferred to do so with a little bit more privacy, not together with some other men who wanted to use the waters of the well one last time. Rin had no idea when their next stop with an abundancy of water like this would be, so he made the utmost of it thanks to Ai’s help.

Haruka had spared them a fine horse. This preferential treatment could have caused displeased grunts among the men, but now everyone knew how talented and thus how valuable Rin was. Nothing was more normal than keeping your assets well, right?

Rin did not care, because he felt as if he was being slowly dragged through hell. Even though Ai had asked the horse to be extra careful and gentle with Rin, the ride was a torment. His head swam and he wanted to sleep on a horizontal surface, not on the back of a walking horse, trying not to fall off of it each time he was jostled awake and corrected his hunched posture. He really needed the help of an arank. Trying to get well after how he had spent his all resources required well rest and feeding, and currently he had none of it. But if he could just swim in an alive water body, then he’d be as good as new. He wanted to ask Haruka where they were headed to, but he didn’t want to explain the reason of his question. Then again, he wasn’t awake much and during his waking hours all he was able to do was to eat, clean up and share a few words with Ai and Meera if the girl could feel brave enough to visit him under her master’s and Haruka’s imperceptible but watchful gaze.

Tonight marked the twenty-fifth night of their travel and the fourth of their departure fromthe village. Rin was feeling a little bit better now. At least, his stomach was settled and he could eat and drink his entire share, even the little bits of fruit and dried meat pieces that Ai was giving him every now and then. He knew that Haruka was providing them to his friend discreetly and truth be told, Rin was thankful for it because his body needed good food when he was recuperating.

The caravan was now resting under a blanket of stars, hidden between high dunes; the semi fertile but arid and dusty lands of that village was now just a memory. People were silently eating their fill and Ai was tending the animals, having returned to his duties. Huddled against one of the silk bales, Rin was watching the camp, more precisely, Haruka... The brunet was walking among the resting animals, listening to a man talking. They were away, so Rin couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the other youth. Since the night of their departure, they didn’t have another chance to talk, but Rin wanted to give him that pouch of seeds that Matsu had hidden.

He was aware that the seeds were just an excuse, but Rin couldn’t help it. Ai would be so disappointed with him had he known and the idea constricted Rin’s chest with unease and guilty conscience.

Just then, Haruka’s face turned towards him and even across that distance, he spotted him. The brunet raised a hand at him as if in salutation and Rin’s eyes widened, realizing that he had been caught while he was ogling the other. Unable to look on anymore, he turned away, burrowing deeper into his cover as if he could disappear within it. He refused to turn that way until he was sure that Haruka had passed him and walked away. He was startled by a voice coming from that side.

“Are you falling in love with him?”

The question hit him so unexpectedly that Rin lost his balance for a moment and struggled with his cover, sputtering indignantly. “What?  No... Of course, not!” He refused rather heatedly and turned back to find Meera sitting there, calmly observing him.

“You can’t take your eyes away from him, I saw you.” She accused serenely and watched the color rise on his cheeks. “Oh, so you have enough blood to get flushed. I guess you are better now.” She observed with the same infuriatingly dispassionate eyes of hers.

Opening and closing his mouth at her like a fish, Rin couldn’t come up with anything to refute her claim, completely thrown off by her bluntness. But then, he saw the minuscule smile tugging at her lips and he frowned at her in mock anger. “You have such a strange taste in humor, Meera.” He berated her.

She was now looking smugly at Rin, enjoying his reaction even though she didn’t show it much. Meera really liked to stun them with her straightforward and collected attitude. It was as if they were small kids and Meera was enjoying herself at their expense and Rin really didn’t mind it. He even found it cute. But sometimes she could be quite persistent when he would prefer her to not be.

“You should be aware that you are not a good liar. If you want me to believe you, you can start by looking not totally smitten by him whenever he is around.”

“Meera...” Rin could have done without hearing that.

“You look confused and that’s a fatal weakness on a desert.” She held his eyes in serious warning. “Make up your mind and heart about him. He is not even your master. Now, where does that put you two at?”

Rin grimaced, his teeth gnashing in his frustration. “Why have you come here, to torment me?” He was upset now, but with himself, not the girl.

“To be the voice of the common sense.” She was utterly nonplussed by his dourness.

“You have a sadistic streak, you know that?”

“Living with that prick for so long must have rubbed some of it on me.” Meera shrugged, appearing guileless. Then she turned serious again. “Zinan talks about you on and on. He finds your situation hilarious, falling for your enslaver, risking your life to save his...”

“Oh, come on...” Rin was still denying and making a show of it by rolling his eyes at her. But she raised a hand and silenced him, not fooled.

“He won’t shut up about it. He is quite taken with your healing powers. And he thinks I am in love with you.”

At that Rin resisted flinching, but he had to ask. “Are you?”

Meera looked at him as if she was deciding what to say. “You are a good man, Rin. You are really handsome.” She confessed, but there was no trace of the embarrassment one would expect to see on a girl confessing to a man. “Yes, I like you, but I’ll settle for your friendship.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody had cared about me enough to get hurt in my stead and called me their friend before...”

Rin didn’t know if he should feel relieved or sad at what she had told him. He was relieved, because he saw her as a good friend and he was sad, because she apparently really liked him enough to just wish for his friendship.

“And you are in the middle of falling for someone else; I don’t want to disrupt the process.” She had that tiny mocking smile on her lips again.

“You really are angering me.” He narrowed down his eyes at her in warning, but he was faking it and she knew it. Yet making light of the matter didn’t solve Rin’s problem.

“I am also not counting the fact that Haruka-san might kill me for coming here every night.” She reminded him of Haruka’s earlier rude treatment of her.

“I don’t know how he could behave like that towards someone he had helped before.” Rin murmured to himself.

This time, Meera looked at him as if she was seeing something extraordinary. “You are either too naive or too sheltered.” She shook her head at his indignant expression.

“I am not!” He didn’t want to listen to the rest, because hearing it from someone else was just going to solidify it and he couldn’t continue ignoring it anymore.

“Rin, he doesn’t want me around you because he is jealous.” Meera said it easily. “And I wonder if he’ll act on it anytime soon.”

Rin frowned and breathed as if he was fed up with the whole world. “You don’t know him. How can you make such an assumption?” He was drawing his last straw, mentally strained by the things that Meera was reminding him with well intentions.

“Do I need to know someone personally to recognize jealousy or love in them? Do you? You sense it, too, don’t you? And you are more afraid of his feelings than yours, aren’t you?” She nailed down his fears with perfect precision.

“Rin... Even though we are of the same age, you can’t even imagine what kind of tragedies I’ve witnessed on this godforsaken desert. Don’t lose your sight and turn into one of those tragedies, okay?”

The two of them knew each other for not more than two weeks, but Meera could read him so well. It was either because she had a great sense of intuition or Rin was too obvious for anyoneto see like an open book. It was disquieting, but at the same time liberating; because he didn’t have to struggle with his circumstances and feelings alone. Meera and Ai understood him and were together with him.

“Thank you.” He whispered and the girl nodded without looking at him, maybe to give Rin time to digest what she had said.

“He is a good guy.” She was playing with the sand. “But a master is a master and a slave is a slave just like you have said before. They can never be equals.”

That summarized the reason of Rin’s self abhorrence. He couldn’t blame this on Haruka no matter how much he’d like to be angry at him to easily discard these growing feelings from his heart, but he was not his master.

Rin doubted that a Bey would have any qualms about taking a slave as his thrall if he liked or fancied them enough, but in his heart of hearts Rin wanted to believe that Haruka was above such a base train of thought. _But then what?_ Rin asked himself. If Rin had been actually just a simple slave and Haruka was really in love with him, would he buy him off of Makoto? Would he set him free and offer him to be with him? Why couldn’t Rin be sure of this happening had the circumstances permitted? Would a Bey actually want a lover standing as his equal who had been freed from slavery?

He shook his head, realizing that he was getting ahead of himself. There was no need for him to speculate about this. He neither belonged to someone nor planned to stay as a slave long enough to find out if Haruka fitted to his unreasonable expectations of him. Haruka was a good man just as Meera had said, but Rin wondered how much of that nicety would remain if he’d learn who Rin actually was.

“You think too much. I get tired of watching you eat yourself up over this.” Meera’s voice helped him return to present. “Here, hard candies from the guy that you gave a remedy the other day.” She handed him a small bottle filled with white pieces of confectionary. “He says his cramps are gone.”

Rin looked at the bottle with forlorn eyes. “If only everything was simple like these, huh?” He lamented a bit, but smiled when he saw her opening her hand and waiting for him to give her some candy with a smug expression on her face.

“Then, stop over thinking and get better soon.”

She was right.

-

The next day, Rin felt better enough to stay awake and ride his horse by himself during the whole of their walk. Watching the unchanging scenery of the bright yellow dunes could have put him to sleep if it weren’t for Haruka’s unexpected company.

Sometime in the late afternoon, the brunet came to the tail end of the caravan where Rin and Ai were. He was also riding his horse, the animals trotting side by side and following the camels before them.

He told Rin that Mahir wasn’t feeling alright and asked him if he could look at his right hand man in the evening when they’d stop. Rin offered to help now, if the silent man felt unable to continue their walk, but Haruka assured him that Mahir would hate it if the order of the caravan would be disrupted because of him. Rin relented and rode on, checking his mental list of the herbs and remedies in his bag and what he would need for Mahir because nowhe really couldn’teffort to use his own power to heal anyone unless it was something life threatening. Then he realized that Haruka was still riding beside him, his eyes not on the road but on him, scrutinizing Rin as if he was contemplating on something.

“You look better now, but if it will put a strain on you, Mahir can wait.” Haruka offered, misunderstanding Rin’s earlier silence.

“It is fine. I won’t use my own energy. I’ll just help his to find its way and give him the proper medicine to aid his healing.”

Haruka’s face took on a thoughtful expression and his eyes lost their focus. He was remembering something. “What you did to my collarbone... It was the same with the one at the village, right?”

Rin nodded. “It was a prolonged one, but in principle, yes.”

“You could have made it as good as new in the first night, then.” He correctly guessed. “Why didn’t you do it like that?”

Rin saw no ill intent in the question, he could see that Haruka was really just curious. “Would you have done that if you had been in my shoes?”

Haruka’s blue eyes caught his maroon gaze and he shook his head, being honest. “Then, you could have healed Aiichiro as quickly as my collarbone...”

“Yes, but then I’d fall ill just like how I did in your case. I hate being vulnerable.”Rin explained. “I heal in different ways, Haruka. Illnesses and all other ailments damage the flow of life within the body and put the core of the person in several degrees of chaos. For minor things, I simply tweak with the life essence of the person, help it to return its normal ways and his core energy to stabilize. Then the body fights the ailment better and quicker than when the person would be left untouched. Iimmediately cure the infections or hemorrhaging if I chance upon them. But mostly, I just show the easiest and the quickest route to life, not interfere.”

“Sometimes things need a bit more of my own energy. But I do that in a way to preserve most of it to function properly later on. What I did for you... I never do unless the person is in immediate danger of death, but still have a spark burning bright. I use nearly all my energy and purify the person with my own core, battling death in their stead. That is like a small death for me because I become totally vulnerable and as I said before, I hate that feeling the most.”

“Then you could have hidden that power and let me die.”

Rin’s head snapped towards where Haruka was, his eyes wide, his mouth slack.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you have left me to death? You could have even escaped, taking advantage of the turmoil that my death would create.”

It was as if Haruka was thinking aloud. Rin tried to see if he was being calculative, if he was trying to get a rise out of him, but Haruka looked very genuine in his suggestion as if he actually couldn’t understand how Rin had chosen to save him instead of doing what he speculated.

“Would you leave me to death then, if our positions were reversed?”

Now that caused Haruka’s head to whip towards Rin, his blue eyes wide. “Never.” He said with solid conviction, fearful that Rin might have misunderstood him.

Seeing that fear and hearing that conviction zinged through Rin’s chest painfully, but he ignored it.

“That is also my answer, Haruka.” He confessed and felt strangely elated to witness the happy shimmers in the brunet’s eyes.

-

While the dinner was being prepared, Haruka and Rin were beside Mahir.

Haruka was relieved to learn that Mahir had just tired his liver and stomach and should stop drinking and smoking and eat well. He helped his loyal man to lie down and watched Rin explain the older man how to use the two medicines that he had given.Now Haruka could tell when Rin had used some of his own energy on a patient, because the yellowish color that had spread over Mahir’s skin a few days agowas now gone. Haruka suspected that Mahir had caught something while they were in the village.

When Rin finished his work and looked at him tiredly, they left the ill man to his rest, walking a bit away towards one of the fires that the men had built to boil water for coffee and tea.

“Bad news, Haruka... I didn’t want to say this while we were among the men, but Mahir has hepatitis.”Rin sat down before the fire wearily, his earlier good mood now totally gone.

“That is infectious, right?” Haruka guessed correctly, his face hardening at the news. “What are we going to do when you are like this?” He didn’t hide his worry from Rin.

The two sat there for a while, thinking.

“I really doubt that he has contacted it while we were in the village. It has only been twelve days since our arrival there and I have never seen people showing the symptoms before twenty to thirty days after they contact it.” Rin reasoned.

“So you are saying Mahir had it before then? What? From Nefer?” Haruka was a bit panicky now. If it really was Nefer, then maybe they were all carrying the illness, waiting for their turn to fall sick with it.

“Relax...”Rin assured him. “His liver was in such a condition that he evidently had this long before then, years even... Sometypes of this illness reoccur again and never go away or are cured completely. Mahir’s is probably like that. I have already stopped the infection.”

“But, there is a possibility that it could spread among the men, right?”

Rin could have patted Haruka’s shoulder to reassure him, but it would be like giving false hope and he also didn’t want to risk getting burnt. “I have to check everyone discreetly. We wouldn’t want to frighten people.”

“But if there are more infected people, what then?” Haruka was worried of Rin’s already frail health. “You look as if you are about to collapse after tending to Mahir. I can’t make you do that.”

Rin’s chest warmed and he felt happy at Haruka’s thoughtful consideration, but he brushed away the feeling even though he liked it. “I have to do it or we’ll be risking everyone’s even the animals’ health and your caravan might even be put under quarantine in the next city you plan to arrive.”

Haruka rubbed a hand on his face and sighed in frustration. “This is really unfortunate.” He mumbled to himself, his gaze troubled.

Rin watched Haruka from the corner of his eye, realizing that the brunet was showing more emotion now. “This is completely unrelated, but are you aware that lately you have been displaying more emotion?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Alerted, Haruka actually caught himself making a distressed face, complete with a frown and a downturned mouth. Instinctively, he erased that expression and his usual unreadable look returned. But what Rin had observed about him made him realize something. “Nobody had pointed it out before. So I guess I am only like this when I am with you.”

Blood rose to Rin’s face so quickly that Rin wasn’t sure if he was able to turn away before Haruka could see it. He remembered Meera’s claims about Haruka liking him and his flush darkened with the memory.

“Are you alright?” Haruka tried to have a better look at the healer, but Rin’s face was turned aside and his shoulders hunched as if he was going to be sick.

 _You dug your own grave._ Rin internally berated himself, straightening up a bit to look normal. “Just a bit tired, sorry…”

“If you need anything...” Haruka offered, but Rin shook his head and finally looked back at him.

“I’ll be good, it’s okay.” Rin assured.

“Stay here. I’ll get us something to eat. Then you’ll feel better.” Haruka jumped to his feet and was gone before Rin could refuse.

The dinner was ready. It was a hearty pilaf full of meat and pieces of dried vegetables. Haruka got a larger share for Rin and he grabbed some bread and dried figs before he returned back to where Rin was. He handed Rin his bowl and then disappeared yet again to fetch tea cups and a bag of tea to steep some with the boiling water over the fire.

They ate their dinner in silence and Rin watched Haruka make tea for them. He knew that it was for him, because Haruka preferred coffee. “We’ll start with you.” Rin broke their silence. When Haruka appeared to not catch on, he went on. “You are the one who is together with Mahir the most. So, I should check you first.”

“But you don’t feel well.” Haruka protested.

Rin shrugged. “It is just a check, and I feel alright now.”

“Here?” Haruka’s eyes were a bit wide now.

“If you don’t mind?” Rin was willing to get burnt, “Touching your hand or arm is enough for me to understand.”

Haruka nodded with a bit of hesitancy. He held out his left arm to the healer, watching him with eyes filled with childish curiosity.

Rin realized that touching the other’s hand might be a bit intimate for Haruka and for any other onlookers, so he slid towards him and put his hand on Haruka’s tanned arm tentatively.

As expected, it was hot to the touch again, but not in a burning and consuming way. Now that he thought about it, the other youth hadn’t burned him much again since the time that he cured him in the village. Sure, Haruka’s skin still had that abnormal heat, but it was a bit mellowed down now. Then again, as far as he could recall, during all those times either Rin had voluntarily touched him or he hadn’t felt wary of Haruka’s touch. Was there any correlation or was it just a coincidence, Rin didn’t know.

He focused himself on Haruka’s core and luckilyfound no trace of an illness. “You are healthy. Your people seem to have looked after you well.”

Haruka was still fascinated by Rin’s power. “How come you and Matsu Baa-san can sense people’s cores, but we the rest can’t? It is a little unjust.”

Rin raised an eyebrow at that, amused. “My power is about purifying and cleansing. It is quite natural for me to be able to see what kind of a core a person has.” Then he turned thoughtful, remembering how Matsu had been able to sense possibly more than any person he met. Even he wasn’t able to tell the depth and the intensity of people’s cores, and thus powers, but she had been. Was that because she had been a center, Rin didn’t know, but he wished he could also see what she had been able to see in others. “Haruka, do you know what a center person is?” He asked.

Haruka had never heard something like that before. “I know about the four core types, but, no never heard of a center.” He confessed, all his attention on Rin now.

“Fire is the principal essence in these parts of the continent, where people worshipthe sun god. Water is the principal one in the countries with a border to the ocean. Earth is said to be more common in the south where Arda and some other rivers are born in. And air is the one that I have seen the least. You’d think that everyone has only one of these, right? But Matsu-san had two, fire and earth. People like her are called centers.”

Haruka was utterly befuddled and a bit upset that Matsu had never told this to him. He stayed silent a bit, trying to digest the feeling of disappointment. Then he snorted, looking at the dancing flames. “I have always suspected that she had fire in her, but, earth? That explains the garden and her fascination with seeds.”

“I have never seen a person with such an inner balance. It was as if she had never been ill, her two cores were in such a harmony. Maybe because of being a center, she could feel what other people had.” Rin speculated and Haruka nodded at that, thinking that she could not only tell what the core of the people she encountered, but also the extent of a person’s power if there was any. That time, when she gave that reaction upon touching Rin, Haruka should have asked her more about it, been more persistent to learn why she got so wide eyed and excited before Rin. He could still recall the day when Matsu had touched him for the first time and had been rendered speechless by what she had felt in him. Was Rin’s power as deep and intense as his? Had that been the reason? He was never going to learn it and that saddened him.

“Talking about seeds...” Rin cut through his musings, one hand reaching into his shirt, he procured a small pouch. “Here... I have been meaning to give this to you for sometime.

Haruka took the pouch from Rin, quickly recognizing what it was.

“Matsu-san had kept this under her shirt, close to her heart. I thought it had a meaning, so I got it for you.”

Haruka opened the pouch and took out a few seeds in his hand, a soft, forlorn look appearing on his face. “Rose tree seeds...” He murmured fondly.

That perked Rin’s attention. “Aren’t rose trees endemic only in Kissaara? They need water the whole year.”

“These could have grown even in that village as long as she would be the one to plant them. She liked their smell.”

Matsu had said that Haruka was collecting the best seeds he could find from the places that he visited to trade. So Haruka had contacts in Kissaara, too, if he was able to get these whenever he wanted. Rin didn’t know if he should feel surprised, considering that Haruka was a merchant. He watched him put some of the seeds back into the pouch and hide it under his golden belt. It was apparent that Haruka was feeling a bit down, so Rin poured them some of the tea that the brunet had prepared for them.

Haruka took the cup of tea that Rin offered him and breathed in its unique aroma. For a moment, he just let it calm him before he did what he had decided to do a few days ago. He looked around and when he was sure that no one was watching, he called his companion’s attention. “Rin, look at this.”

Rin watched Haruka put his hand right into the flames with a flinch and an instinctive reaction of wanting to save him. He reached for Haruka’s hand, gasping loudly, but Haruka stopped him with his other hand.

“Just watch, it is alright.”

Distressed despite himself, Rin settled back to his side again when he realized that fire did not burn Haruka’s hand. “How?” He breathed, his eyes wide.

Haruka withdrew his hand and showed it to Rin. There was no blemish, nothing. “Look at the fire.” He urged Rin. He focused his attention to the ifreeth of it and ordered it to put itself out.

The ifreeth snarled at him, but did as he was ordered and the fire went out as if someone put an invisible cover over it, not even an ember remaining or smoke coming out.

Rin was truly amazed, his heart thudding a mile at the display of power. He tried to reach for the now completely dead pieces of wood and coal, but Haruka stopped him again.

“No, it is still hot.” He warned and looked back at the fire place and the flames roared back to life again, making him shake his head at the mischievous ifreeth. “I can control fire.” He disclosed only one aspect of his power, hiding the fact that his core was in an elemental form, that he was essentially the sun itself, embodying all the positive and negative aspects of it in his person, but was unable to control most of them.

Rin was smiling; his eyes were shiny with wonder, betraying how impressed he was. “I have never seen anyone like you.” He was truly fascinated by Haruka. His ability was so spot on his character that Rin would have laughed at the irony of it hadHaruka not been looking somber. It was ironical, because Haruka loved water, yet had a core of fire and a power that had nothing to do with water at all. If only Rin had Matsu’s ability, he could see for himself how powerful Haruka was and if this was what the arank of Nefer had told him about. The arank had said that Haruka’s power was a dormant one. This certainly wasn’t all that Haruka could do, but Rin respected the possibility that Haruka wanted to only disclose this much. Then again, if the brunet’s power was mostly dormant, even he might not be aware of the whole extent of it all.

“I wish I had been like you, instead of having this.” Now Haruka was openly playing with the fire and touching the flames since no one was looking at them.

Rin watched how his companioncould even grab and hold the bright red wisps between his fingers as if the flames were tangible things. And maybe they were, for Haruka. “Why?” He asked, unable to comprehend how a gifted person could complain about their ability instead of embracing it. “I have met with many talented people like us before. But you are the first person I have seen who can control fire.”

“You give life and I take it, that’s why.” Haruka’s serious and sharp eyes found Rin’s bright ones, unintentionally dousing the joy in them. “Look here.” He opened his palm and showed him the seeds. He tried to infuse them with the fertility and longevity aspect of his power, but they turned into charcoal the second that he touched them with the rays of the sun in his other hand.

Rin saw that Haruka was holding something in his hand invisible to him and making a motion as if he was spinning a tread on the seeds in his other hand. In that instant, the seeds shriveled and turned black. Haruka closed his fingers and ground them into ash in his fist. A shiver ran down Rin’s spine upon the demonstration. “Did you do that intentionally?” He feared the answer, because what he actually wanted to ask was if Haruka burned him intentionally, too, whenever they touched.

Haruka saw the fear in Rin’s eyes and a rueful smile appeared on his lips. It was ironic, how he wanted to use this power to create more and better when his attempt only resulted in destruction as if his initial aim had been it. Rin had to have thought so, that he was able to destroy whatever he wanted, which was true, but only the half of it. He grimaced. “I... No, this wasn’t intentional.” He didn’t want to explain that this part of his power was about the sun, not the fire, but apparently Rin had already gone to a conclusion.

“So your touch burns?” The healer waswary and a bit disappointed.

“No, of course not... If it were like that than I wouldn’t be able to touch anyone now, would I?”

 _But you burn me and try to consume me as if you are the fire itself..._ Rin would have liked to say, but Haruka seemed quite convinced of it. Now that he thought about it, earlier, Rin had seen him touching Mahir to help him lay down and shaking hands with a man from Zinan’s group upon receiving a package from him. None of the men had shown any discomfort. Ai had also said that he was going to test this... What happened to it? Rin couldn’t be the only person that got effected from Haruka’s power, right?

“Then, why does this happen?”

“My ability is a bit similar to Matsu Baa-san’s. She used to say that the seeds that I touch, the plants that I infuse with my power should grow better and faster and yield flowers and fruits in abundance for longer times.” Haruka thought that this roundabout explanation was safer. Rin didn’t need to know the rest and fear him like all others.“But as you can see... Whenever I try it, it seems I can’t control my own power and all it is good for is destruction.”

Rin stayed silent, observing Haruka’s downcast face. Haruka was tormented by this and he didn’t hide it from him. He had always known that Haruka was gifted, but actually hehad neverexpected to find it out in this way and from Haruka’s mouth no less. “You have something that most Beys of these lands would sell their souls to own. It is awe inspiring, watching you touch the fire, putting it off and then rekindling it by only using your mind. That thing you did to the seeds, I guess you have done that before to some other things involuntarily and the experience scarred you. To tell the truth, it is a bit scary, yes. But instead of being a warlord or even a conqueror with that power of yours, you chose this life. You try to be normal. That’s a real virtue.”Rin believed what he said and his eyes reflected that trust.

Haruka’s eyes shone at Rin’s words, a lightness filling his chest like water bubbles. “You really think so?” He was like a child waiting for acceptance.

Rin smiled at Haruka’s now elated face. Knowing that he put that look on the brunet made him happy, too. For all the gods under and above, he could no longer deny what he was feeling for Haruka even though he was damn well aware how useless and wrong and dangerous it was.

“I am sure that there will be a day when you’ll make those seeds bloom with the touch of your hand instead of burning them, so don’t be sad anymore, Haruka.”

The soft expression that appeared on Haruka’s face, as if he was about to break down and cry, could have stopped Rin’s heart had the brunet not turned his face away in time to hide it. He felt color rise in his cheeks, too, unable to suppress it.

“That iswhat my own grandmother and Matsu Baa-san had told me.”

Speechless, Rin withdrew his knees to his chest and hugged them with his arms to conveniently create a safe place to bury his face into. He felt his chest hurt, his breathing becoming painful. Oh, why did he have to meet Haruka? Why under these circumstances? Why?

Haruka should have been like Zinan, he should have been a total asshole, a mock of a man, so when the time came Rin could have been able to kick his face into the dirt with satisfaction to never look back... Not feel this heartbroken over... Not like this; pure and dazzling enough to make Rin forget what he really had to do and where he actually should be.

“Why have you told me all these now?” He had to learn this.

His face still turned away, Haruka shrugged, trying to collect himself. “You told me about yourself, just to console my mind about her death and to appease my curiosity. You trusted me enough to share it with me. It is only natural to return back the courtesy.”Though, Haruka wasn’t sure if telling only half of the truth counted as being trustable.

Rin was wondering the same thing even though he felt honored by Haruka’s faith in him.He guessed that the reason behind Ai wearing only the ankle chains and him wearing none at all was this trust that Haruka was putting in him. Too bad that Rin planned to betray that trust at the first chance that he was going to get. He was nearly about to feel sorry for it, realizing how dangerous his emotions could become if he’d act on them further. Getting to know Haruka better served only in putting his heart and mind into turmoil. He should stay away even though Haruka seemed to be seeking out his company constantly.

When Haruka saw that Rin liked his answer, he realized that he’d done the right thing by sharing a bit of his secret with him. Getting to know Rin better only deepened the sweet ache and the guilt in his heart, but he craved for more moments like this even though he knew that he was pushing both himself and Rin into a world of hurt and pain when Rin would find out who he really was and what he had been doing to him. He wished that accursed time would never come, but he had learnt the hard way that everything had an end.

“I need to sleep.” Rin made a motion to stand up, but as soon as he was on his feet, he felt light headed and the ground shifted under his feet. _So much for trying to run away_ , he thought bitterly, shutting his eyes on instinct. He was caught by Haruka. The brunet steadied him and held onto his arm and elbow to let him reorient himself.

“You stood up too quickly.” Haruka’s voice was coming really close, his breath against his left cheek.

Seeing the spreading flush on the healer’s face, Haruka got worried, not aware that he was the cause of it. “Sit down again, sleep here if you want. I can call for extra beddings.” He offered.

 _Not in a million years..._ Rin thought, especially after realizing so much about his feelings for him. “I really should leave; I don’t want to create any more gossip material.”

Haruka could understand that. “Alright, but let me walk beside you there.” He insisted.

Rin let him, slowly going to where he knew Ai was. The silver haired youth would want to learn everything, but he had to wait. He really needed to sleep on the things he had learned and felt today.

Bidding Rin a goodnight, Haruka returned towards where his tent was set up near the fire that they had been sitting before. He was too hyped up to sleep after all the things that he had learned and felt, so he brewed himself some strong coffee and sat there in his earlier spot.

The whole night he listened to the mischievous ifreet talking about how smitten Haruka was with Rin. Instead of angering him, it actually entertained Haruka, so he simply let the fire djinn amuse himself at his expense. Because it was the truth.

-

To check all the men that belonged to Haruka’s group took Rin’s five days. Haruka could see how Rin’s own health was tethering on the brink of collapsing, because they had found fourmen, all close friends of Mahir, with the early stages of infection and Rin had to stop it with his own energy. But at least now, everyone was fine and Rin could have a rest.

Luckily, Rin didn’t need to check Zinan’s group, because Haruka’s men didn’t share their bowls or cups or any other utensil that could come to mind. Caravan trade people always used their own bowls or spoons, because they had the common sense to stay always alert of any infection that might render them immobile or leave them vulnerable.

Aiichiro was looking after Rin well, so Haruka tried not to worry much for Rin. Though the silver haired youth was terser than ever, he ignored it, thinking that he had every right to be so since Rin was unable to get well because of Haruka.

He saw Zinan’s slave girl, Meera, with them everynight, aware that she was coming for Rin, not Aiichiro. He suppressed his irritation at the sight every night, also trying to ignore it, because Rin seemed to be enjoying her company. He wasn’t one to stoop down to the level of being jealous of a slave girl.

On the thirty second night of their travel, a big commotion woke everyone up, including Haruka. It was close to the dawn, the darkest and the coldest hour of the night. The guards were running around, shouts were coming from Zinan’s side of the camp.

Haruka got his kilij ready and got out of his tent carefully to see what was happening. Just then, one of his guards approached and told him that somebody was seen going back from the side of Zinan’s group with a horse. That side was close to a high sand dune and thus darker and more secluded.

As expected, Zinan’s camp was afoot; several men with horses leaving it to possibly follow after the man who had escaped.

Haruka thought that getting involved was troublesome and useless, so he ordered his men to lay low and mind their own business. As a precaution, he stayed awake and observed his men. Most of them were awake now, he could even see some of them completely forgoing sleep and starting fire to steep tea and brew coffee for breakfast.

An hour later, the dawn was about to breakand now everyone was up and about. While the people were eating and getting ready to leave, Zinan’s men returned with an unconscious person thrown over a horse, dangling from it lifelessly. Haruka watched it in distaste, but it was Zinan’s business, not his.

During the night of the same day, Haruka went to the blond Bey’s tent perfunctorily, to ask if there was a problem and if he could help. Not that Haruka really wanted to do it, but it was common courtesy and he simply went about it.

He wasn’t surprised to find a beaten up man near the entrance of the lavish tent, half dead and bleeding. He schooled his features into a neutral look and saluted Zinan.

The said man stood up to welcome him, nonchalant and easygoing as ever. They sat down for coffee, talking about mundane things until the conversation came to the whimpering and chained man on the ground.

“This lunatic stole some gold and a horse to run away.” Zinan waved his hand at the man as if he was pointing at a bug. “He simply got what he deserved.”

Haruka could see a large raw wound on the upper part of the man’s hand as if he was skinned there. The tattoo of ownership was gone.

Knowing where Haruka was looking, Zinan chuckled. “He skinned himself. Can you believe it? He said he was either going to be free or die as a free man, my ass.”

Zinan’s sole chained slave was Meera, Haruka knew it. What had this guy gone through to even cut away his own skin to get rid of that tattoo, he couldn’t imagine. Zinan liked to be needlessly cruel.

“Now, I can understand why you are using chains instead of the tattoos... Look at that shit. It certainly decreases the value of the merchandise, that ugly wound.” The blond man was smoking as if he had no care in the world. “But putting them in chains certainly limits their movement. If only I had put this fool in shackles before, he couldn’t have done this... I should have followed your example.”

Haruka barely kept himself from frowning tersely at the man. “That’s your choice.” He bit, totally put off by Zinan’s insinuations.

Zinan looked as if he was remembering something. “Then again, why is the healer-kun unchained? Have you set him free?” He asked, appearing totally innocent.

Haruka gritted his teeth imperceptibly. “No.” He curtly dismissed the question, but Zinan was insistent.

“Then you plan to put a tattoo on him... I see, after saving your life, you are awarding him.”

Haruka held his tongue about how Rin could easily erase it even if he’d get it done a hundred times. He shook his head and that shut up Zinan’s mouth for a while, surprising him. He drank his coffee without tasting it, wanting to leave as quickly as he could.

“So you either don’t care whether he runs away or trust him enough to believe that he will stay.” It was as if Zinan was thinking to himself, but he knew that he had successfully planted the seeds of doubt in Haruka’s mind.

“That is none of your business.” Haruka gazed into the other’s eyes as if he could kill him with his looks.

Getting the message, Zinan raised a hand. “Easy, now. I meant no offense.” He backpedalled.

Haruka got up and made to leave. “Whatever. I have things to do.”

Unabashed, Zinan called after him. “Won’t you send me that healer of yours? This fool needs to be patched up a bit.”

Haruka would have done so, not because Zinan had asked, but because he felt sorry for the man. Yet Rin was ill and he didn’t want him to exert himself further. “You have your own healer, right?” He asked over his shoulder. “You shouldn’t break your toys if you are going to cry over them later.”

Zinan watched Haruka leave with hard eyes. But then his expression turned into that of mirth. He leaned back and continued his smoking like the lazy cat he was. “And if you don’t want to lose your toys, you should chain them down, my friend.” He grinned.

-

Two days later, Haruka was sitting in his tent with a lantern beside him and a message in his hand. It had come from Makoto, tied to the foot of his falcon when they had stopped for the night.He no longer saw the letters, his mind wandering.

Earlier, he had informed Makoto of the events in the village, about how Rin had saved his life and how his ability worked. His friend had not said much then, already gaining on them, because Haruka had lost five days in that village. But this message, it was clear that Makoto had started a background check on Rin secretly long ago than Haruka had a guess.

He didn’t know if he was thankful of Makoto for learning about Rin or a bit angry at him for ruining what he was starting to feel for the healer. His eyes were hard and full of disappointment.

Makoto had given their mutual friend Nagisa the duty of asking around about Rin and Aiichiro. Apparently, the two were seen at many places, healing people and animals alike, asking for nothing in return, always paying for whatever they ate or used. Makoto had written that it was suspicious for anyone to always have money on them when they did not earn it. Another interesting thing was the fact that Rin had been seen travelingwith some other men around, not just with Aiichiro, in Shalbatana and in Kissaara. The catch was that those men were all Beys of Kissaara. Makoto believed that Rin was a Bey from their enemy country and with his right hand man Aiichiro; they were spying on Shalbatana for the Kissaaran Sultan.

This got more meaningful when Haruka remembered their talk about the dam and how averse Rin was to the idea of it. Of course a Bey from Kissaara would think that way, because due to the dam, the water flow of Arda was reduced and Kissaara no longer had an abundancy of water. Rin seemed to know a great deal about the underground water levels and how the dam was bloating in the middle section of the river basin and how the rising waters had invaded the lands and damaged the nature.

Where did he know all these, unless he had a secret agenda about the dam and the environment around it? What was more, the village that Rin had claimed to be captured by the bandits in had open irrigation canals and gods knew what his actual purpose had been there.

How could things add up so well unless they were the truths? Haruka put the message aside and lay back on the cushions, looking up emptily. When he thought that he had disclosed vital information about himself to a possible spy from the enemy country, he wanted to kill himself even before Makoto would have a chance to learn what the hell he had done. And he had unlocked Rin and Aiichiro’s chains, trusting them so easily like giving them an open invitation to run away and betray Haruka to their Sultan. He had gotten angry at Zinan that night for talking like that about using chains on the slaves, but now that he thought about it, the blond had pointed at a real problem for him. His heart and conscience were telling him the otherwise, but he had to put the shackles back on the healer and his friend until the time he’d get new information about them from Makoto. He shouldn’t jeopardize his situation anymore than he had already done so by talking about his ability to Rin that night.

Completely drained of his good spirits, he called Mahir and told him to reuse the chains on Rin and Ai, pointing at where he had been keeping them.

He didn’t know if he should feel sad or snort at the way how even his trusted man raised an eyebrow at his order as if he couldn’t understand why Haruka would do such a thing. He ignored his conscience and decided to eat his share in his tent tonight.

-

Sitting near one of the camp fires, Rin and Ai were listening to the men saying that they were quite close to their next outpost, which they’d reach there in less than two days. But Rin could feel nothing from the underground. He just hoped that the wells that they were about to reach had their source in the opposite direction and that their waters would be alive. He highly doubted that, but hope helped him in coping with the demoralization that he and Ai were going through.

They had learned about the escape attempt of Zinan’s man from Meera. She had told them about how he was caught, how he had skinned his own hand and how much beating he got.

“If you are going to escape, you should try it in a city, not in the middle of nowhere.” Meera had whispered to them. “How stupid was he to choose such a place to run away...”

The unsuccessful attempt of the poor man had doused their spirits a bit, but Meera was right. They should try it in or near a city where they could hide easily. Rin hoped that Haruka wouldn’t reattach the chains on him, so their only problem would be the ones on Ai’s feet. They had to think something about it.

“Harin is a big city. There you might give it a try. I can help you.” She had cheered them up. “I heard that after this outpost, the next stop is that city.”

They really had to be on alert from now on, because at least now they knew the route thanks to Meera. Now she was gone, called to attend to Zinan, leaving the two of them with a totally disgusted look. They didn’t talk after she had left, choosing to wait silently for the dinner on their fire to cook.

Their sullen waiting was disrupted by Mahir. The man approached them and told them to come with him. A bit vary; they followed Mahir to a less occupied part of the camp, only to be presented with their old chains.

Rin was devastated. His feelings had to be clear on his face, because even Mahir looked apologetic as he relocked the thin and shiny shackles back on them.

“Why?” Rin asked, unable to hide his sadness.

“Bey didn’t tell me anything.” The bald man did his job and left them.

Rin simply sat down there and looked at his hands and feet with alarmingly blurring eyes. He bit on the inside of his cheek to stop his unbecoming reaction, not willing to take Ai’s well deserved berating that it might cause.

What had he been expecting? He closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth. He had been such a fool to have hoped that Haruka was now trusting him a bit, that he began to hold Rin in higher esteem and realized how demeaning and ridiculous the chains were. So much for that idea of Meera’s about Haruka liking him, having feelings for him, huh...

He exhaled a loud sigh and looked at Ai. “There goes our hope to stay unchained until our chance would come. We are back to square one...”

Ai was aware that Rin was also angry at himself for being hopeful. He shrugged.“If we can’t find a way until then, we will run away with these attached on, Sempai. Nothing has changed.”

Rin nodded, finding a bit solace in Ai’s conviction. “We will get away, I promise you. Before we are out of Belili’s border, we’ll manage.”

Still rattled at himself and Haruka, Rin stood up to return to the fire. “Come. There is no reason to miss the dinner.” He urged Ai. “That guy couldn’t escape and cut his tattoo. Zinan put him in chains, right? I am sure the reason behind Haruka’s order is what that guy had tried to do that night.” He made a correct guess.

They endured the stares of people as they ate their fill. It was evident that the men around them found the situation a bit strange. But no one questioned Haruka’s orders and no one pried into what he did. It was fine with Rin, because he had no patience to answer stupid questions or listen to pitying remarks. Thanks to this, he was finally able to set his heart straight, no longer feeling guilt and remorse about what he had started to feel for Haruka. Because now the starkness and harshness of their situation was slapped across his face mercilessly. It was brutal, but it felt good to clear his mind.

The next days, he stayed away from Haruka and returned to his duties by his order, mostly helping Ai in animal care.They arrived to the second outpost in one and a half day, a few hours well into the afternoon, and the first thing Rin did was to concentrate and find where the wells took their water source from. Just as he had expected, the source was coming from the south, where he guessed Harin was. But he realized that these wells were also seasonal ones unfortunately.

The village seemed larger than the first outpost with eight wells and a garrison guarding them. It was not as green as Matsu-san’s village, but people seemed to be able to grow some trees and veggies near the wells.

Rin doubted that he’d have the chance to go near and look into the wells other than the ones that they were going to camp near, but he could already sense that the waters were dead. It seemed to him that the underground trail went to the south a bit, but then was cut off from the main source because of seasonal aridity or some other reason. That was good, because it meant that in the further south, there had to be a large resource, an oasis or maybe a river. That was certainly where Harin was. Rin wondered how far the city was from the second outpost.

The thirty-sixth night of their travel was a bit hectic.Men set up their tents and built large fires, tiredly cooking dinner and steeping tea. Rin healed Ai’s new chain wounds that appeared on his hands and he had cured a man from Zinan’s group of scorpion sting, since it had happened right beside him when they had entered the village. But the surprise of the night was a broken arm.

While he and Ai were helping with the unloading of the bales from the camels, a young man had to have distressed an animal unknowingly. The angry camel had created a commotion. Because the bale was untied from it, it fell down on the young man before people could stop the camel from trashing around. The young man got his right arm broken.

Rin had told the men to carry the injured one to a safer place, Ai staying to console the agitated animal. Brought near a large fire, Rin began to work, immediately realizing that the poor man had broken his arm in two different places. Rin knew how important it was for these people to use weapons and ride horses without any hindrance, so a mistreated broken arm meant a permanent incapacity for the young man. He had to use his core energy to set the bones straight, so the arm would heal perfectly.

He asked for what he needed to stabilize the arm, his medicine bag and began his work. Right after he made the man scream in agony as he set his bones, Haruka came. Rin didn’t even acknowledge his presence as the brunet talked with the people that were helping Rin in holding down the injured guy.

Rin did his best and wrapped the arm securely, he made the man swallow a strong pain remedy that he had prepared before and told him how to take care of the arm.Finishing his work, he got up and left, all the while avoiding Haruka. But just as he was about to pass between two tents, his arm was grabbed and he was pulled into one of the tents in a flash. Even before seeing who his captor was, he knew that it was Haruka by the intense burning sensation that spiked up into his skin from his touch.

Unable to suppress his flinch at the pain, Rin shook off Haruka’s hold and hid his arm behind him, immediately healing the red mark of his hand. He looked up at the blue eyes coldly, appearing totally disinterested in what Haruka might want to say.

Feeling as if he had stumbled into a stone wall when he met Rin’s eyes, Haruka didn’t know what to say other than weakly pointing out the obvious. “You look paler than usual.”

Rin considered not talking and quickly leaving the tent, but then he realized that it would seem as if he put too much meaning in what Haruka had done to him. No need to boost the other’s ego by acting terse and aggressive. Staying dispassionate and aloof was the best option. “I had to set the bones and heal them a bit. That’s why.” He informed.

Haruka couldn’t say a word. He had grabbed onto Rin’s arm on an impulse when he had realized that the healer was avoiding him again, just like he had done in their first outpost. But what had he been expecting from Rin after putting him in shackles and chains? Smiles and nice words? Rin was treating him just as the situation called for, so it was high time for Haruka to treat him as he deserved, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I am leaving if that’s all.” Rin made for the entrance of the tent, but Haruka stopped him again.

“Ignoring me will not help with your problem, Rin.” For some strange reason, Haruka couldn’t help but make a jibe at the other, a bit angered by how Rin had flinched from him yet again as if he was a pest, not worthy of his touch.

Rin’s eyes widened at Haruka’s open confrontation. “And what is my problem, pray tell?” He raised an eyebrow at the other, damn well knowing what Haruka was talking about.

“You are angry at me for these.” Haruka nodded at the chains on the healer’s ankles and wrists.

“Oh, these...” Rin chuckled derisively without any humor, making the chains jingle. “I have been missing them. They are like a part of me now.”

The wounds and bruises on that pale skin were so plain to see even in the semi darkness of the tent that Haruka could only have a guess at how much they hurt and how stubborn Rin was to not heal them.

“I know it was my mistake to let you hope that from now on you can go on without these, but...” Haruka took a step towards him as if he was going to touch the wounds on his wrists and Rin immediately realized that something changed in the air, in Haruka, that sped up his heart and dare he say, gave him goosebumps.

“But, as you have said before, you do not belong to me to do as I please with you, Rin.” Haruka looked back at his eyes and in their blues Rin saw the forlorn and unquenched desire swirling.

Redness and heat spread across Rin’s face instantly despite himself when he realized that the brunet chose to use that phrasing knowingly, because Haruka had never looked at him before with that open want reflected in his blown pupils.

Now his facade of calm completely blown off, Rin tried to keep it together in vain, all his instincts on the edge. “You did what your friend would have expected you to look after his merchandise.” He furrowed his brows at the other, sensing that he was being cornered craftily. “I have no bone to pick up with you. Now stand back, I am leaving.”

Haruka didn’t heed Rin’s order; the healer’s well suppressed anger giving him a thrill he didn’t deny himself. He took another step and Rin did not back away even though his body seemed ready to sprint, barely holding his ground against him. They were nearly nose to nose and he was aware that if cornered much, Rin would hit him with the chains without any hesitation. “Why are you making this difficult for the both of us, Rin? Why do you always take your guard when I try to approach you?”

The question and seeing those blue eyes soup close threw Rin off. He didn’t know what to say to Haruka anymore, so he averted his eyes awkwardly. He was sorely aware of his rapidly beating heart, the proximity and Haruka’s captivating auraeffecting him in ways he didn’t want to acknowledge. Despite himself, he backed away a step, trying to pass by Haruka to escape from the tent.

“No, you don’t get to leave.” Haruka side stepped into his way, blocking him. “You always leave and expect me to figure you out. Talk, say what is on your mind.” He tried to urge Rin to speak, really wishing that he’d stop shunning him, unable to distance himself from him even though Makoto’s letter was echoing in a corner of his mind like a constant buzz.

“I... I have nothing to say to you.” Rin couldn’t believe that he had stuttered, feeling trapped by Haruka. He felt furious with himself for being so inarticulate. “Nothing I might say will be enough to unlock these.” He showed Haruka his chains. “So there is no need to talk.”

Now it was Haruka’s turn to be at a loss of words. He couldn’t confess that he was Rin’s real owner, that he had been the one who put the chains on him, that he was afraid of losing him and didn’t know how to make Rin stay other than chaining him down at his side. Rin would hate him forever for it and Haruka knew that even though he had deserved that hate, he wasn’t sure if he could live with it.

“Would you wish you were mine?” Hisabrupt question surprised even himself, his body swaying towards Rin as if pulled frominvisible treads.

Rin’s eyes widened and for a moment, his heart beat in his throat with an indescribable feeling. “Yours?” His chest hurt with a mix of want, hope, love and hurt.

“If you were mine and if I’d have set you free, would you have stayed with me, Rin?” Haruka didn’t know why he foolishly hoped that Rin would say yes, that he’d never leave him, that he’d be happy. Even the thought of this was enough to make his heart hammer in his ribcage and steal his breath.

Rin couldn’t believe that he was hearing what he had imagined about Haruka not long before. In his heart of hearts, Rin’s answer was a yes, because there was no need to deny it anymore. But what good was it for? What would saying it cause other than heartbreak and pain for the two of them? “As what?”He asked lifelessly.“A freed slave with a debt to pay? Your personal healer? Your friend? Maybe your lover?” He witnessed how he was killing the hope in Haruka’s eyes.

“As whatever or however you wish for, Rin...” Haruka offered, losing a bit of his enthusiasm when he saw that Rin was doubting his motives again.

“Then why would you buy me? For my healing power? For my looks? For your amusement in bed? What for?” Rin felt something clogging his throat as he spoke. “To tell the truth, I don’t even know why your friendeven bought me. I have seen and talked with you more than I did with him. It is as if he just got me out of a whim. Don’t think that I am angry at Makoto-san, in fact, I feel lucky that he was the one who bought me, but why? He neither knew that I was a healer, nor was aware of my power. Why did he get me for that much gold? Why am I in chains like this?”

Haruka felt himself sick in the stomach as Rin spew question after question with his eyes getting teary. “Because you can erase the ownership tattoo, Rin.” He weakly pointed out what Rin was already guessing.

“Really?” A tear drop tumbled down Rin’s cheek and he furiously wiped at his face, taking all his anger on himself. “He doesn’t care about me or Ai even a bit. And here I am, left in your hands, who thinks that I must be treated this way.” Rin’s sadness was quickly turning into fury yet again.

“Rin, do you think I like seeing you in these? Do you think I put these on you with a clear conscience? Why do you think so lowly of me?” At that moment, Haruka felt disgusted with himself, with the man he was turning into just to continue his lie. He really wanted to shout out the truth at Rin, but his fear got the better of him. “I am sorry, but it has to be this way, Rin.” He wanted to bite his tongue off, because the face Rin was making, all devastated and hopeless, was killing him.

Rin knew that Haruka was not to shift the blame on, that he was just an easy target for him to focus all his frustrations and disappointments and hate. Haruka was just doing what he thought the best for every party involved in this charade. But Rin was hurting now and in a sick and twisted way, he wanted to hurt Haruka’s feelings, too. “You know what?” He spat with a derisive tone, his narrowed down eyes puffy with unshed tears. “I would never want to be yours, not in a million years.” He declared coldly as if he was looking down on Haruka. “And you wouldn’t be able to buy me with all the gold the depths of this world could offer, Haruka _Bey_.”

Haruka let himself be pushed back by Rin as the other left the tent like a storm. His arms were trembling with the force he exerted to stay put, to not pursue and rile up Rin more. He deserved this, he really did, but it hurt. Rin’s pain hurt. And seeing how he had ruined his chance with him from the start with his lie even before he had known that he might fall for the healer as he got to know him... It hurt.

He _tsked_ and rubbed at his face to collect himself, sighing deeply at Rin’s bitter words. He left the tent to return to his own, his lips set grimlyin self loathing and derision. _Say, Rin… What would you do, if you knew that I have already bought you for just a hundred pieces of gold?_

-

Rin felt desolate. He wasn’t aware but his eyes looked haunted as if something was dead inside him. But now he was more focused and sharper than ever even though his health was still recovering. This was for the better. He had been going out of his track, but now he returned to the mind set that he had when they had been captured by the bandits from Shalbatana. Nothing could derail him anymore now that he understood getting stuck on petty things like the feelings he had was both useless and deadly, just like Meera had claimed.

 _Whatever..._ He mentally shrugged. He was planning to eventually betray him anyway. Though he was sure that reclaiming one’s freedom back did not count as betraying whichever way you thought about it.

The same night, there was a kind of small merriment, something like a celebration, among the men. They were roasting several large lambs over the fires, apparently the courtesy of the two Beys, and good wine was abundant in earthen jugs. Men were smoking hookahs and playing instruments to amuse themselves with songs and dance.

Neither Rin nor Ai joined the merriment other than getting their share from the food. Meera wasn’t around, either, probably helping the servants of Zinan. Bored, but left alone, Rin and Ai decided to sleep even though the laughter and the music was a bit too loud.

Well into the night, Rin was jostled awake by a man he didn’t know. The man motioned him to keep silent and leaned in his ear to whisper. “Come alone to the tent with a red ornament on it, enter from the back. If you don’t or if you tell anyone, Meera will be dead.” Then the man disappeared into the still awake crowd in the middle of the camping site.

Now totally awake with a sick feeling in his stomach, Rin got up, considering. This was a trap, it was evident. He should wake Ai and tell him. Then go and wait in that tent for Ai to come and bring Haruka or Mahir with him. He grimaced, rubbing at his face in desperation. He was being watched, he could tell. That meant Meera would be dead even before he’d arrive to that tent. What to do... Nothing came to his mind as he looked around the tents to find the one with a red ornament on it. Damn it, he swore silently, that tent was on the far edge of the camp where there was little to no light and no people at all.

Ai stirred awake by the noise of his chains, scaring him. “Sempai, what is it?” He made a motion to get up, but Rin weakly smiled.

“Go to sleep. Nature calls.” He lied and before Ai could suspect anything, he made his decision and stood up. “I’ll be back.” He wrapped his khalad about himself and when he felt sure that Ai was going to sleep, he rushed towards the said tent.

Their resting place was close to the animals and the brevity was still continuing, Rin saw that there were women dancers among the group now, so no one seemed to notice Rin practically running to that tent under the dark shadows, silently.

He was aware how foolhardy he was being, but, Rin was certain that the person who had called him was Zinan and yes, Zinan would certainly kill Meera if he wouldn’t have come. So he wasn’t surprised to find the blond menace reclining on cushions at the head of a dinner spread at his feet, smoking. Meera was sitting near him, dressed beautifully, her long hair done up, but her hands and feet bound tightly. She was muffled, her eyes teary, desperate, helpless; because there was a man right behind her with a sharp dagger pointed right at the hollow of her neck.

Rin was about to yell a ‘ _What the fuck are you doing!’_ at the sadistic man, but his voice died in his throat.

“Any loud words and she’s dead.” Zinan puffed a cloud of smoke. “Any attempt at running away or trying to alert others and Meera is dog food. You’ll sit there civilly, eat and drink with me and listen to what I say, or there will be blood tonight, Healer-kun. Do you understand me?”

Rin was shaking visibly in anger, his body taut like a bow. He was snarling, his own nails digging into his flesh, realizing how cornered he was. “Fucking piece of shit!” He couldn’t help with his loud remark, only to be reminded that there was a dagger pointed at Meera by the dramatic _tut-tuting_ Zinan made as if he was berating a child.

“Now, that won’t do. You have to stay calm, Healer-kun. That aggressiveness of yours is certainly sexy, but we don’t need it here.”Zinan motioned for him to sit down. “Sit down.”

If looks could kill, Rin would have done so a hundred times already, he hated the man enough to strangle him with his bare hands. He took a few glances around to assess his situation completely, but this was a well thought out trap and Zinan seemed to have been thinking about this for sometime.

The tent was not Zinan’s, it was a simpler and smaller one. There were only two guards, one with Meera, the other standing behind Zinan; but he could tell that there were others outside lying in wait  incase something happened.The situation seemed hopeless, he would never risk a friend’s life, so he had to comply and listen to what the sadistic man had to say. So he sat down and told himself to stay calm, not to lose his head, because this shit was serious and anger only clouded his reason, not a help at all. “What do you want, Zinan?” He spoke as calmly as he could, his eyes on the dagger at Meera’s throat.

Zinan chuckled at him, an eyebrow raised at the way Rin called him. “Oh, I love how impudent you are.” He took a deep breath from his hookah, the smell of it betraying that he was smoking something else mixed with the tobaccounsurprisingly. “Pour us some wine.” He demanded a little bit loudly and a man came in and served them. With widening eyes Rin saw that the servant was the man who had escaped and cut his tattoo. The guy’s whole aura pulsed with resentment and vengeful vibes.

“Sharp eyes, Healer-kun...” Zinan drawled. “He is the one who tried to run away, correct. But don’t mind his distasteful appearance, drink up, drink up.” He took his own cup and drank his wine in a gulp.

Rin didn’t want to touch anything that this man could offer, but he was threatened again.

“Drink and eat as a guest. Or Meera will cry. Right, my darling girl?”

Rin took the earthen cup and drank as little as possible. “This much pretense show is enough, tell me what you want.” Rin had no patience, his heart running a mile per second.

“Such haste...” Zinan sing-songed, but when Rin snarled at him yet again, he turned serious. “You seem to have reunited with those jewels of yours.” He nodded at the chains on Rin’s hands and feet. “See how your beloved Haruka-san treats you at the mere possibility of you running away. The example that I have set up for him must have really frightened him, no?”

Rin’s lips thinned. “Was that servant’s escape attempt a fluke?” No way, Rin thought, the man was courageous enough to skin himself and take a beating to death. He looked at Meera as if to ask if she knew, but she shook her head with an expression of bewilderment of her own.

“Clever boy...” Zinan nodded, watching Rin’s mouth going slack. “I told him if he could manage to get away before my men could catch up with him, he’d be free. But he was slow, you see.” He giggled. “Yet Nanase took the bait, totally frightened to lose you if you were to attempt to do the same and be successful at it. I always knew that he was quite possessive.” He pointed a finger at Rin. “Not that it is a bad quality, I’ll say.”

“Whatever, turn back to the subject.” Rin waved his hand in distaste at the mention of the other Bey.

“Oh, but there is more to your ire, right? What happened? Did he ask for a taste of you? I know how he is lusting after you; that sour puss must have finally realized his want of you.” Zinan laughed.

Rin’s expression openly betrayed his disgust at how the man’s mind worked. “Are we here to discuss his sex life? If you are that much interested, go and get a taste of it in the first hand.” He spat, his anger betraying him and making Zinan laugh at him again.

“I would have looped your head off this instant, but you are more precious than to satiate a moment of anger with, Healer-kun.” Zinan turned serious again. “I see that stupid guy had successfully made you hate him throughly, so what say you if I told you that you can be a free man again without those chains or tattoos or anything.” He asked with faked innocence in his eyes, leaning forward with a flourish.

The idea could have made Rin laugh at the Bey had there been no daggers against Meera’s neck, but he kept his calm. “Nice, I’d say.” He talked carefully, seeing how Meera’s eyes were telling him to get away, that she was ready to die, that he should just save himself. “But why would you do that?”

Zinan reclined back again, expecting the question. “Drink up, drink up. We are getting to the exciting part.” He gulped down some more wine, watching Rin take a sip when his man made the girl whimper to persuade him.

“You see, I am completely impressed by your talent and it is wasting in the hands of that insensible brute. I’d like you to work for me and stay with me in Quenaan.”

“And be your thrall, right?” Rin could have vomited at the way the man nodded guilelessly.

“Well… Not just a thrall, no. I prefer the word _lover_... I’ll treat you as my equal, as a free man should be treated. You can do your magic thingy and have all the riches at your feet.” Zinan put a hand on his heart, his words and his eyes saying the complete opposite. “And I’ll cherish you until the end of our lives.”

Meera’s eyes were screaming _No!_ But Rin asked, immense aversion mixing with his deadly curiosity. “What makes you think that I won’t run away from you, too?”

Zinan sized him from head to toe in that lecherous way of his. “Surely you can... But I’ll find you and chain you down and rape you every day, torment you and make you wish for death, but never grant it to you.” He spoke as if he was talking about the weather.

His nerves finally frayed, Rin sputtered and then started to laugh, his insides boiling with a sick feeling he had never had before. “Just like what you have been doing to her all this time, right?” He wanted to carve out those venomous green eyes of the man with a blunt knife when Zinan simply raised an eyebrow in acceptance of his inhumanity. “You are one demented sick fuck and you enjoy being it immensely.” He chuckledin absolute contempt, holding his stomach to contain the amounting nausea. “You have planned this really throughly, haven’t you?” He bit on his lip and made himself bleed to stop his body’s survival reaction, his core was this close to claiming him to wreak havoc and destroy everything. “You don’t know what you wish for, Zinan, you are too greedy for your own good.” He spoke the truth, unaware that his eyes dulled in color and his face looked as if he was going to be sick.

A bit mystified by the way Rin acted, Zinan stopped his guard from approaching Rin. “I had arranged for your escape. While the men entertained themselves with women and liquor, you could have been on the way to Quenaan. All I’d say tomorrow would be that you had escaped with my servant. I can even kidnap that friend of yours to where you will be if you want. I can even give Meera to you! What is your answer?”

Rin didn’t even consider. “No.” He gnashed his teeth, tasting his own blood, trying to stay calm.

“You think I’ll let you go?” Zinan’s patience was thinning, now he was hissing like a snake. “I’ll kill Meera and tie you up and offer you to Nanase. I wonder what he’ll say when he learns that you two tried to run away together since he suspects that you are lovers.”

Rin needed a miracle to get himself and Meera away unscathed from this and the longer his mind couldn’t come up with something, the harder his core tried to take him over. Was he going to let her die for the sake of not being found out? What the hell was he going to do even if he could kill the men here? The devastation that he would cause would kill even Meera and the people in the vicinity, then render him depleted and completely vulnerable. Where was that damned Haruka when he needed him?

Zinan made the decision for him.

Before Rin could protest, Zinan’s man pushed the dagger right into the chest area of the girl and Rin’s scream was muffled by someone who grabbed at him from behind, pointing another dagger right in the hollow of his neck.

“I told you to be quick, right?” Zinan continued his smoking, his green eyes cold and distant with no trace of mirth. “Don’t resist or you’ll die in vain.”

Rin, unable to take his eyes away from the dying girl’s, struggled, but to no avail. Her assailant had pulled the dagger out of the wound and blood spluttered everywhere.

“One last chance. Be mine and I’ll let you heal the girl. Refuse and you two die together. Not keep your word and this time I’ll slice her throat. Choose now!”

Shaking with adrenaline, fear, blind anger and hopelessness, Rin nodded his head affirmative. He had made up his mind, he was going to kill this man, even if it was the last thing that he’d do, he was going to make him choke on his own blood. Haruka would take care of the rest, he was sure. In his cloudy mind, he was sure that the brunet would realize what happened here and be just and save his body from the hands of these savages.

Zinan smiled like a cat who swallowed a mouse and ordered his man to let Rin go.

Scrambling towards Meera on his hands an knees, Rin was near her lightning fast, pressing his hands on the gushing wound between her breasts and realized that her major artery and her heart was cut. She was going to die in a minute if he wouldn’t use his core energy.

Rin didn’t hesitate. He healed her as best as he could and quickly got depleted, unable to close the wound completely. But at least the damaged artery and the heart were mended and only the flesh wound remained. He preserved just an ounce of his energy for Zinan, who caught him as soon as he fell to the ground.

The sadistic man was giggling gleefully while he dragged Rin from his chains towards the pillows where he planned to rape him.

His vision swimming, Rin retched several times, seeing Meera’s blood covered unconscious form spread on the ground like a rag doll, unattended. His body was deposited onto the soft pillows and he lost the feeling of his feet and legs, the numbness climbing up his limbs rather quickly than he expected. He felt the putrid breath of the disgusting man on his face and grimaced at the way his clothes were torn away from his body. Thankfully, the numbness on his legs helped him to not feel therevolting touches on his skin, a horrible ache invading his head and rendering him blind. Afraid and regretful, he hoped to stay alive to see another day after what he was about to do.

He let his core claim him and grabbed onto Zinan with all his might, urging all the blood in Zinan’s body literally out of his pores, his eyes, ears and every other nook and cranny that it could gush out from. His mind closing in on itself, he realized in grim satisfaction that after all, listening to the screams of his enemy was not a bad way to go.

-

Haruka was sitting before the largest camp fire and watching his men enjoy themselves after they had endured the half of their route successfully. When Zinan’s men had proposed to have a small celebration, saying that their Bey had bought them six lambs to roast, Haruka had given permission and bought six more animals for the men to cook up a feast. They had even hired a few women to dance for them and Haruka stayed with the crowd to remind everyone to not create a commotion by forgetting their limits. So far was so good, as men ate their fill and was now drinking the wine that they had been sparing since the first outpost.Haruka let them be, they needed to relax.

He was not in the mood for merriment, but he could go nowhere else even though currently he would have preferred the company of the healer the most. He knew that he had no right to wish for that, but regret was a merciless thing, always poking its knife at his side.

His gloom was the subject of the camp fire’s ifreet, too. The largest fire place of the camp had been there for the longest time, so the ifreet of it was the strongest. It was also sarcastic and cruel. “Say, King, why the long face?” It was deriving pleasure from Haruka’s torment.

“Mind your business, demon.” Haruka whispered under his breath. He wondered if the irritating fire guardians were ever going to act respectfully at him. Sure, they did what he ordered, they never harmed him in any way, but their cockiness was exasperating.

“Heartbroken, eh?” The ifreet danced in the flames, nailing it down in cruel accuracy.

Haruka rolled his eyes at him, poking the coal bits with the stick in his hand. “Shut up or I’ll douse you with water.” He threatened.

Not a bit fazed, the djinn laughed. “Ignoring me will not help with your problem, King.” He drawled, perfectly imitating Haruka’s voice and words.

The dejavu irritated Haruka more, he asked, to complete the circle. “And what is my problem, pray tell?”

“Pffft! Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Sometimes Haruka really wished that other people could hear the voice of these djinns, too, so they could understand how much irritation that he had suffered because of them through his entire life.

“You know it very well because you created it with your own hand.” The ifreet wisely read Haruka’s heart.

Another thing that Haruka hated about these djinns was that they all knew everything that Haruka had ever felt or thought as if they were of one mind and heart. Arinna weren’t like that, thankfully.

“Any suggestions?” Haruka humored the ifreet, thinking that the djinn couldn’t hit any lower than that.

The djinn seemed to be thinking or listening to something. Then he flared and seriously talked. “Instead of moping here, you can start by protecting him.”

Haruka was instantly alert, because the ifreets never lied to him. “What do you mean?” He asked a bit loudly, drawing the attention of a few men close to him.

The djinn flared again, but this time the flames were so high and strong that all the people around it fell back in fear, except Haruka. “Oh! How Splendid!” The djinn rejoiced, sensing the second Rin’s core took him over. “Follow the screams!”

Haruka drew his kilij and started to run as soon as a faint scream was heard from the right side of the camp, coming from a remote tent. Men followed after him even though they didn’t know why their Bey was running, their janbia and kilij in hand.

Seeing that this part of the camp was unnaturally silent, it took no genius to realize that there was something fishy going on with Zinan’s men. He cursed under his breath when a man jumped right before him and attacked him with a long kilij. A few seconds later some of Zinan’s guards were on them, trying to defend that tent with their lives.

Haruka didn’t spare any. It was clear to see that whatever their Bey was doing, his men wanted to hide it at all costs. Haruka got rid of the ones hindering him and when he reached the tent the scene that greeted him turned his blood cold. He slayed Zinan’s guard without even looking at him, his gaze arrested by the blood that covered Zinan, Meera and Rin.

Not even taking a breath, his eyes surveyed the damage. The bound girl had a fatal wound on her chest, but she was breathing. Rin had to have healed her. Zinan was sprawled on Rin, crazy with fear and pain, wailing. He was coughing up blood, the red liquid coming from his eyes, his nose and ears. And Rin was dyed in the blood of the others, his clothes torn, nearly naked and as white as the death itself. He looked boneless, all life sucked out of him.

Haruka’s mind blanked when he thought that Rin was dead. All reason, caution and sense fled from him and he felt like an empty shell.It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened here. He raised his kilij and with unblinking eyes, went to loop off the useless head of the vile man, but his kilij was stopped by Mahir’s barely. The strong man’s shoulders were trembling with the force of Haruka’s blow. “Bey, don’t! Leave him to the authorities!” He tried to reason, but Haruka was too far gone to comply, he took his stance back and stroke again and could only be stopped by two men who manhandled him with their whole bodies. When Mahir tried to help the men, he saw the color of Haruka’s eyes and felt a chill down his spine. They were eerily gold as if belonging to a statue. He had never seen anything like that, but he had to shake off the shock quickly.

“Are they alive?” He was yelling at the men who filled the tent, trying to help the wounded.

“Yes, the girl is alive!”

“The boy is alive, too, but barely.”

Hopeful, Mahir shook Haruka from his shoulders. “Bey, they are alive! Rin is alive!”

That did the trick and slowly Haruka’s eyes turned normal and his face took on an expression of pain and regret. Men let him go and his eyes focused on Rin again, seeing that Aiichiro was already beside him, covering his friend’s nakednesswith unshed tears of frustration and abhorrence in his eyes.

He felt laden, like a stick doll, straight and inflexible as if he was out of his body. Men arrested the attackers, put Meera and Rin on stretchers to get them out of this death hole. Zinan was half crazy, screaming at them, calling them monsters. And Haruka was about to tear his hair off, but didn’t know what stopped him from doing so. He spoke calmly, yet clearly.

“Take Rin and Meera to a safer location, find Zinan’s healer and ask for help. We must keep them alive so they can testify for what happened here. Bring soldiers from the garrison. Don’t touch anything here and tie these men together until they are taken away.”

He was dying to go and help Rin, but he had his duty, too. When he left the tent, everybody was up and about, fully alert. “Zinan’s men, you should know that on the event of any attack attempt at my group, you’ll be killed. So I advise you to stay put until the authorities arrive.” He warned.

The rest of the night was a blur. The soldiers came and took away Zinan and his guards even though he was half dead and on the brink of insanity. After the soldiers’ inspection, the bloody tent was burned down and Haruka poured all of his energy to establish control over the rest of Zinan’s men, some of whom were ruffled and ready to do stupid things. He told the slaves that he could buy them off of the blond maniac if they wanted and unsurprisingly all of them relented. The garrisonwas quick to valorize the slaves and Haruka bought them all. Zinan had no say over the matter legally, because he was the guilty part with given evidence.

He was informed that Zinan had refused to speak, unconscious most of the time. Whatever had happened to him, Zinan was probably going to die, which would be the easier fate for him because Haruka planned to drag the disgusting man’s body from here to hell and back at the first chance he got.

Emboldened after being bought by Haruka, the slave who had skinned his own hand had given testimony against Zinan. And Meera opened her eyes in the afternoon of the same day and with the help of Aiichiro, she told the soldiers everything.

Haruka had never been more furious. He could feel that whatever had taken him over in the tent was going to do that again as he listened to the girl. But the sight of Rin’s unconscious face helped him anchor himself even though it also pained him immensely.

“Why does he look worse than when he treated me?” He asked Aiichiro after Meera fell asleep again and the soldiers left.

Aiichiro looked tormented, blaming himself for Rin’s state, for falling back to sleep, for not following him, for being unable to protect him from these people. “He had already been sick, curing you who went and got himself bitten needlessly. What were you even expecting?” He accused Haruka fearlessly. “You put these back on us, as if you are chaining down dogs. Unable to even defend himself... Look at the cost of it.” He pointed at Rin’s right hand which was sliced deeply by a kilij. They didn’t know, but it was done by Zinan’s guard to unclench Rin’s hold on the man when he began screaming and trashing to get away.

Ai was close to tears, biting on his lip to hold on. “I had to stitch it, I am no where as good as him, and gods know how long it’ll take for it to heal or if it’ll heal at all.”

Haruka had no answer; he had nothing to say, because Aiichiro was right. He just sat there near Rin and watched Aiichiro treat him. The rise and fall of Rin’s chest was barely visible and Zinan’s healer had told him that Rin was on the brink of death, his heartbeat shallow and slow. He didn’t know what he would do if Rin would not open his eyes and stayed this way, or worse, die here. Even the possibility of it was making breathing painful. He was sure that he’d go half crazy like Zinan if that would happen. But he was here to prevent that from happening, right? There had to be things that even he could do.

“What can I do for him?” He asked. When Aiichiro’s distrustful, angry eyes met his, he asked again. “There had to be something even I can do for him. What can I do?”

Aiichiro knew what to use for Rin to help regain his strength when he’d deplete himself like this, but he didn’t think that could be found here. Had they been in a large city, maybe, but not here. “Nothing that this village can offer...”

He turned away from the brunet, rummaging Rin’s bag to keep himself busy to not lash out at Haruka. “We can’t even find the ingredients of Rin’s paste for malnutrition in this village. You can’t do anything other than waiting.” He squashed his hopes, but he had told the truth.

“But if you have an ounce of sympathy for him, when you’d set out for the next town, you’d leave us here with some guardians to wait for Makoto-san’s group. Not put him on a horse and expect him to endure the same hell again.”

Haruka nodded at that, ashamed of himself for his earlier treatment of the healer. “I’ll stay here until he opens his eyes.” He conceded. “Then we’ll do as you say. You can follow us with Makoto’s group.” _Maybe that’s for the better, for the both of us..._ Haruka thought. He had only caused trouble to Rin, nothing more.

But even after five days, Rin’s condition did not change.

-

_TBC..._

**AN:** Dear readers, I have a problem. I have written Chapter 10 and now I am in the middle of Chapter 11, but I am stuck. There will be a period of 10 days during which Rin and Haruka are alone with no one around and I need to fill that time in with memorable things for the two of them. But I have run out of ideas. If you have any idea to share, please do so. If there is any situation that you’d like to see the boys together please write to me. If it is suitable to my plot, I’ll include it, giving you the credit. Hope you are all doing well and having a good day…

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Haruka was at the end of his wits. The desert was a merciless teacher and it was giving him a cruel lesson through Rin.

The healer woke up only three times during the whole five days after the incident. His complexion went from white to gray and his skin looked as if it was stretched over his bones. Malnutrition was clear to see even though Aiichiro tried to make him swallow runny soups, fresh fruit juice, milk and honey that Haruka had found for him. But Rin couldn’t stay conscious long enough for Ai to even feed him a few spoonfuls of them. He was afraid of feeding him while he was not lucid, thinking that he might trigger his gag reflex and torment him more. Nothing helped. Rin was dying slowly and the sole thing that they could do was to watch the process.

Haruka chanced upon Ai and Meera crying beside Rin’s bed many times. His guilt was feeding upon his regret and pain, turning into a giant and crushing his heart under its foot. He didn’t pay much attention to his own body, but sadness caused small boils to appear on his skin and he scratched at them in frustration, a new found nervous habit of his. Neither he nor Ai and Meera got a goodnight’s sleep since that day, but Rin was unaware of all the pain that they suffered through, peacefully sleeping.

He was about to go crazy. Even his sun maidens were staying away from him, sensing the building agitation that rolled off of him. The ifreets were also silent, dare he say, disappointed and angry at him in a passive way. He asked them and the maidens many times if they could help Rin, if his power would be of help for him, but they were either silent or had told him that he couldn’t do anything in his current state.

Helplessness was like a jagged knife and he felt it against his throat every time he saw Rin or his friends’ anguish.

At the night of the sixth day, they had learned that Zinan had been let out of the prison, paying a good sum of fine to the garrison for his freedom. Enraged, Haruka had rushed to talk to the soldiers, but they had told him that the man needed immediate medical care. So, after paying for his crime, they had to let him go.

They also said that two slaves’ testimony against a Bey’s held little verdict upon the situation. Zinan and his loyal guards had told them that Rin had come to Zinan willingly because he wanted to belong to Zinan. So, Zinan had been planning to buy him off of his master. But Meera had gotten jealous and tried to kill them by offering them poisonous wine. One of the guards wounded her when they had realized that Zinan and Rin had fallen sick because of her. According to their testimonies, what Haruka and his men had witnessed had been the moment when Rin was trying to save Zinan, but fallen unconscious due to the poisoning. Zinan had told them that the sale of his slaves to Haruka was illegal and since he did nothing wrong; the slaves had to be returned back to him.

Haruka was going to kill the man with his own hands, but Zinan had already escaped, leaving the rest of his caravan and goods behind to follow after him later on.

Ai suspected that the only true thing about Zinan’s story was the part with the poison. The servant of that night, the slave with the wounded hand, had vowed on everything holy that he had served the same wine to the two of them, that Zinan wasn’t stupid enough to drink poison. He believed that Zinan’s sickness had to have been caused by something else. But Meera was the one who made the correct guess by saying that the poison had to have already been in Rin’s cup, so Zinan had also drunken from the same tumbler to show Rin that it was safe to drink. That had to be why he had forced Rin to drink it, incase his plan wouldn’t be successful, Rin would die slowly and painfully as Zinan’s retaliation, because they didn’t know the antidote.

Before all these had happened, Meera had told them that the next city on their route was Harin and it would take about three weeks to reach there. Ai guessed that if left in this way, Rin would continue sleeping for weeks, his core sustaining him in the minimum, not letting him die until he’d either wake up someday as a ghost of his former self or turn into a living corpse, never decaying. They had already lost about a week. Until the time they’d reach Harin, Rin would have lost considerable amount of his muscles, his body would even refuse normal food even if he’d wake up by then. And when he would be able to eat and drink to rebuild his strength, it would be too late for the two of them; gods knew how long it would take for Rin to function normally again.

Yes, he could wait to reach the city and manage to get Rin into the river somehow, but they wouldn’t be able to explain to all these people how Rin was able to transform from someone a little better than an actual corpse into a youth at the apex of his health. It would seem like a miraculous resurrection to everyone and Ai would rather die than let everyone see how someone could literally return from the death. Because then, the contrast between Rin’s healthy and sick states would be shockingly great if they’d wait for that long. He had to prevent that to make it seem less suspicious. Thus, he had to talk to Haruka, even though what he was planning to discuss with him would betray a little more of Rin’s secret, he had to do it.

When they were left alone, he openly asked. “Are there any large water bodies on our route?”

Not knowing the purpose of the question, Haruka didn’t want to disclose information about their route.

Impatient, Ai tried again. “I see that you don’t want to talk about this, but it is important for us to know if there are any large water bodies in the vicinity of your route.” He persisted.

“Why it is of significance?” Haruka was doubtful.

Ai scrutinized him for a moment and wondered in honest curiosity what his elder found in this guy to fall for. He was that angry with him. “To save Rin, of course! And no! Don’t ask another meaningless question, Haruka-san! Tell me a yes or no!” He berated quite fearlessly.

Taken aback a bit by Ai’s open show of hostility, Haruka desisted from making any remarks to remind him his station, because that was not the time for it. “Yes, there is one. Harin has a large oasis.”

Ai grimaced and then bit on his lower lip. Had Rin been conscious for longer times, he could have followed the underground trail and directed them to a nearer place. It could suffice even if it was a well as long as it had an arank guarding it. “How many days is it on horseback?” He had no choice.

Haruka gave it a serious thought. “It is three weeks’ way with a caravan, but with a horse or a camel, with nothing to weight you down, it can be lessened to eight or nine days.”

“That’s too long!” Ai was rubbing his hands together in a clear show of helplessness. They had lost too much time in waiting for Rin to get well a bit, to not risk this talk. But Ai had no choice left, Rin needed external help.

“Why do we need water? Aren’t the wells here enough?” Ai’s agitation was doubling Haruka’s.

Ai huffed and looked around as if he didn’t want anyone to eavesdrop on them. He approached Haruka and looked up at him in all the deadly seriousness of a man who had nothing to lose.

“Those fire demons that we have talked about before, remember, Haruka-san? I know that they are real, that you can see and talk to them.”

Haruka’s mouth dropped as he backed a step and then took the stance of an attack on instinct.

Ai took grim satisfaction at seeing it and readied himself to reflect any blow that might come at him, but he saw how the brunet visibly stopped his reflexive response. “Yes, Rin told me about your power, just like you have written the master about Rin’s power, right? Fair game...” He raised his chained hands. “I had deduced the probability of this from Rin’s explanation and your reaction proved me right. So, listen. Here comes a secret for a secret...”

Haruka could only look on, his brows furrowed in dismay.

“Water has two kinds. The dead ones and the alive ones... The ones in these wells are dead. They are stagnant; nothing comes in or goes out from them. They are seasonal waterholes, or water pouches in the underground that establish and lose a connection with a real source seasonally. The alive water is the one in motion, it either feeds from a river of some kind or a river takes its source from it.”

Ai was feeling disgusted with himself for betraying his elder by disclosing all these to Haruka, but Rin needed to be saved. “The alive water has a power that can be utilized by people who know how to do it, just like I am sure you can utilize the power of fire when you want to do.” Haruka didn’t need to know that Rin was the only person who could do it. Generalizing the matter made it seem like something quite common and trivial and it was what Ai needed at the moment. “If we can get Rin close to an alive water source, he can cure himself borrowing that power of the water.”

At a loss of words, Haruka was impressed both at how clever Ai was and at the information that he shared. It had been inevitable for them to figure out the part about the ifreets, but how they knew about a water resource’s status was a mystery to him. Actually, he wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Rin had catalogued all the water sources that he had ever seen during his travels through Shalbatana to assess the situation better. The high possibility of him being a spy nagged at Haruka’s mind, but everything would have its turn, now was not the time for that.

When Haruka didn’t say anything, Ai impatiently talked again. “So, we have lost a week. Let alone feeding, we can’t even properly hydrate him. Another three weeks of being carried on a stretcher will kill Rin. We have to rush him to Harin. Will you let us go?”

Haruka wanted to take Rin there himself, otherwise he knew he’d die of worry. “I will take him there.” He surprised Ai. “Normally, we follow the wells to always have a reasonable amount of water with us, but I won’t need water that frequently. I know a shorter route which has fewer wells. It will reduce the way into five days.”

For the first time during all these, Ai looked hopeful. “Let me come with you.”

“I am sorry but that won’t do. I’ll have to be light and quick.” Haruka refused him, the disappointment and anger clear on Ai’s face. His blue eyes watered a bit, his lips thinning.

“Then, promise me that you’ll look after him well, that you’ll protect him.” Ai demanded. “If Rin dies I have nothing more to lose and even in these chains I will be your angel of death.”

Haruka could see that Aiichiro really meant it. “What about Zinan?” He asked a bit derisively.

“If his news of death doesn’t reach us anytime soon, I’ll find and kill him with my own hands.” Ai promised. When he had seen the blond man, Ai got a pretty clear idea about what Rin had done to him. The only way for that sick bastard to escape death was to be touched by Rin again, so the process would be reversed. Since that was impossible, Zinan was going to die in his own blood. Maybe because Rin had let his core take him over to do that was another reason why Rin was on the brink of death himself now.

Ai’s loyalty and love for Rin was commendable, but also a proof of how dangerous he was. “When you arrive at Harin, you’ll see him in good health. You don’t need to threaten me for it. He is my priority now.”

That made Ai’s eyes widen a bit at the implications behind it. Then he nodded, his face turning grim again. “I’ll ready him.”

Haruka agreed. “Yes, we have work to do.” And he went his way to talk to Mahir about what he planned to do.

On the morning of the seventh day, both the caravan and Haruka were ready to depart. He had two camels at the ready; one loaded with water and provisions, the other was going to carry Rin and Haruka.

Initially, Haruka had wanted to go with his trusted horse, because even though the camels were stronger and sturdier to thirst, to make them run was really hard. But Ai persuaded him that, yes, the camels were going to run. He had chosen the best animals and having known and cared for them for nearly two months now, the animals liked him and agreed to do his bidding.

Haruka set out before the caravan, Rin tied to him in the front, the second camel in tow. He had ordered Mahir to use their planned route and keep everything orderly. He had also told him to not say anything to Makoto. Because if he’d learn what Haruka had done, Makoto would chew his ear off and might even report Rin to the palace. Haruka doubted he could restrain himself if something like that were to happen.

Just like Ai had promised, the camels ran and they ran well. Haruka was holding Rin tightly with one arm, even though he had tied the healer to himself securely before. His arm was going numb, but it was worth it because he didn’t want Rin to be jostled by the strong movements of the camel.

Rin’s head was tucked under his chin and he had covered him to prevent him getting sun burn. Rin was still sleeping, his complexion was alarmingly lifeless and even through the layer of clothes, Haruka could feel how cold Rin’s body was. By just looking at him, one would have said that Rin was dead, but Haruka was compulsively checking his pulse on the neck to ease his mind even a bit.

He didn’t plan to stop until the nightfall, but in the evening, he had to slow down; because something miraculous happened. Rin woke up.

The healer started to sob as soon as he regained enough consciousness to feel the movement of the camel. His eyes shut firmly in a tight grimace; he retched a few times, uttering unintelligible words that Haruka couldn’t make out over the noise in his ears belonging to his rapidly beating heart. He tried to make him drink some water, but Rin was seized by a fit of coughing, tears running down from his eyes with the force of it. He gave up on it and cradled Rin better. He tried to lessen his agony, but Rin continued sobbing into his neck, one of his hands weakly grabbing at his khalat.

“You are going to be alright. You’ll get better, I promise. Rin, please hang on.” He was repeating this like a good luck charm, not knowing if he was trying to persuade Rin or himself. It seemed that his words or voice helped a bit, because Rin’s pitiful moans ceased gradually and he fell asleep again.

Elated that his charge regained consciousness even for a brief moment, Haruka’s resolve renewed and he rode on well into the night. He could have continued if he had been alone and on foot, but the animals needed a rest and he had to feed something to Rin. He stopped at the foot of a dune and tried to wake Rin. When nothing helped, he wetted a clean piece of cloth and dripped water into Rin’s mouth. After reflexively swallowing a few drops, Rin choked a bit and it woke him as he tried to cough it out. He heaved and retched, but there was nothing to come out. Haruka made him recline in a half sitting position and Rin was talking, saying nothing intelligible for Haruka’s ears. But Haruka was happy, because at least now Rin was trying to talk, trying to move. Ai had prepared him a thick and creamy paste from nuts, honey, butter and fruits, and Haruka diluted it with water.

“Rin you need to drink this, okay?” Little by little, he helped Rin to swallow it, afraid that he might choke him. He could only get Rin to drink about six spoonfuls of it before the healer’s head rolled to the side and he returned sleeping again. _Better a little than nothing at all..._ Haruka thought and let him rest as he chewed on dried meat and bread, watching the stars making their tour in the sky.

They were back on their track after three hours of rest. With a slower but steady pace, they rode on, the moon illuminating them a bit. It was so desolate, so quiet that only the breaths of the animals and his companion could be heard, lulling Haruka to sleep.

He jostled awake when he felt that Rin was awake and moaning in pain. He was begging him to kill him, making Haruka bite on his lip as he embraced the thinning frame of the healer more securely to himself, not knowing what to do to console him, to help him forget his pain even for a bit.

Then his sleep muddled mind picked up a dusty memory where a child, whose face he had never seen, had caressed his hair and promised him how everything would be alright even though it might hurt a bit. That sweet voice of his and the memory of the gentle touch of his hand was still alive in his mind and he had always remembered them dearly and fondly. So he caressed Rin’s hair, running his fingers in the wine colored locks, recalling that he had always wondered if they were as silky as they looked. And yes, they were, even though they were a bit dirty due to the cold sweat that Rin ran. Haruka didn’t care, he went on almost reverently, because it seemed to help as Rin fell silent again and his face relaxed into sleeping.

He corrected the cover over Rin against the night chill and wondered where that child in his memory was now.

On the night of the second day, he arrived to a well where there was no one around and he was a bit worried that it might have gone dry and thus was abandoned. Thankfully, it wasn’t completely dry. Even though it was murky, there was water enough for the animals and for him to boil some and fill his nearly empty skins.

He had to spend six hours there; the animals were too tired to go on without the breather. He sat with Rin resting beside him before the fire that he had built. The ifreet of the fire was an old one, quite surprised that somebody had come here and stayed long enough to build fire.

“The one that is sleeping... Why have you let him fall ill like that?” He danced, happy to burn again.

Haruka sighed and talked aloud to hear a human voice even though it was his. “Carelessness...” He scratched at the boils on his upper arm, aware that the more he got agitated, the more lesions appeared on his body.

“He is much too precious to be careless about, King. Can’t you tell?” The spirit scoffed at him.

Haruka frowned at the ifreet, thinking that the spirit was making fun of his feelings for the healer. “What is it, what should I be able to tell?”

The ifreet appeared to think something as if he was trying to assess Haruka’s worth. Apparently, he couldn’t find what he looked for, because he refused to elaborate without hesitation. “I can’t say it. That is for you to find out.” He chuckled, finding Haruka’s frustrated expression funny.

“Why is the secrecy? What good is it? Maybe I can help him better if I knew it!” Haruka complained, this time scratching behind his neck.

“If you aren’t mature enough to find it by your own means, then you are not ready for it.” The spirit clearly cut the line. Then he slyly asked. “How is it going? Those golden treads that your giggly girls spin for you? Have you learnt how to use them properly?” The ifreet was amusing himself at his expense.

“You know the answer to that.” Haruka hated being reminded of it.

“Precisely! You can’t even control your own power. Look at how you are inflicting yourself pain; you can’t even stop it… If I tell you now, you might cause his ruin with the knowledge. Time will tell you when it is the suitable moment for you.”

“What has it got to do with these boils?” Haruka resisted the itchy feeling induced by the lesions, not willing to break the skin at those areas and get infected.

The ifreet’s tone carried a bit of pity when its voice echoed in Haruka’s mind. “Your core is causing this, King.” Upon sensing Haruka’s disbelief and puzzlement, it continued. “You should have recalled the feeling by now, right? Think…”

Haruka’s hand compulsively went to his face, to his right eye in dawning realization. The itch that burned on the effected parts of his skin was the same as the one that nearly blinded his eyes all those years ago. With a sinking heart, he thought that his condition could only be cured by Rin and in all honesty, he wouldn’t want to burden Rin even if he would have been healthy enough to heal him.

The ifreet flared. “No time for a pity party, King. Just hope that your condition won’t turn into a severe one as that time, because as I said before... He is too precious to be careless with.”

Haruka exhaled at the stark realism of the djinn tiredly. “He is my enemy, he is a spy.” He said as if it was an afterthought, unable to convince even his heart into what he said.

The spirit laughed at him merrily, the wisps of the flames curling in mirth. “To chance upon you in this forsaken corner of the desert, to hear these... Oh, King... This will be enough entertainment for me even if no one rekindles me for a hundred years to come.”

Haruka wanted to step on the fire and kick away the coal pieces, but he needed the warmth and the light in this desolate place. So, he just sat there and listened to the ifreet’s stories about this place while he dripped water into Rin’s mouth with a piece of cloth. Before the dawn, he was on the road again.

Two more days passed by without anything major happening, other than Rin going in and out of consciousness during which Haruka tried his best to make him drink water or Aiichiro’s diluted mix. But Rin stayed the same. Sometimes when his talk was understandable, Haruka would cradle him against his chest and endure hearing how his stomach and head hurt to the point of him wishing for death. At those times, Haruka found himself willing to share Rin’s pain, even wishing that there was a way to shoulder it for him, so Rin could have a break from this torture. He knew that these thoughts were dangerous for him, creating a door for Rin that could open to his weaknesses, but he couldn’t help it. How could he do so when Rin would shiver and tremble violently, trying to get a bit of warmth in his arms, telling him that it was cold, so cold that he was frozen to his bones. When Rin would hold onto his bare flesh under his khalat, his skin as cold as the glaciers that Haruka had never seen before, but scorching enough ignite a fire in him and  burn him fiercer than the sun itself, Haruka could no longer deny that he was done for. He didn’t know if he should relent to his fate or fight it, because this had already gotten larger than him and he wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to win against it.

Though he had been expecting to arrive at the oasis in the evening of the fifth day, he was only able to see the city lights and the walls of Harin in the late hours of the night. But Haruka didn’t ride to the city; instead, he rode towards where he knew the river coming from the oasis went shallow, creating a secluded spot to enter before it disappeared to the west in the distance.

When they arrived, Haruka double checked to see if they were really alone. He’d hate to chance upon any unwelcome travelers or worse, burglars around when they would be vulnerable. Luckily, they were the sole visitors of that part of the river anyone who wanted a dip could safely stand and enjoy the water without the fear of being swept away by the current or get stuck in the depths of it.

Hyperaware of any danger, Haruka knew that he had to be quick. He carefully got Rin down and made the camels sit in the foliage to camouflage them. Then he jostled Rin a bit to wake him up, gently closing Rin’s mouth to silence him when the healer started to moan in pain.

“Rin, we are at Harin, near its river now. It is dangerous, so I need you to be silent, okay?” He whispered and Rin took a deep breath from his nose and nodded shakily. Haruka lifted him up and carried him to the bank of the river, not sure of what came next. “Rin, you must tell me what to do. How are you going to heal yourself? What do you need?” He asked, stopping right on the brink of water.

Rin couldn’t move, but he started to speak with a visible effort. His words were unintelligible yet again, but they really sounded like proper words now, not the blabbering of a delirious person. Haruka realized that all this time Rin had been speaking in that forgotten language of his, and now he seemed to be talking to someone that he couldn’t see. Then, he whispered in broken words for Haruka to put him in the water and wait. 

Haruka did as he was told, anxious to see what was going to happen. He slowly sat in the water, lowering Rin into it until only his head remained outside. Nothing happened at first, but then the water stirred, the feeling not foreign. With widened eyes and a bit alarmed, Haruka tried to hold onto Rin more securely, but in the blink of an eye, it felt like Rin slid away from his arms as if they had been on viscous mud and Rin slipped right towards the middle of the current.

Completely mystified and fearful of Rin’s life, Haruka couldn’t stop himself from shouting Rin’s name even though he knew that silence was adamant around places like this. Without thinking, he rushed towards where Rin had disappeared in, but before he could even swim a few strokes, he was bodily hauled back to the river bank by a strong and unnaturally occurred wave. Taken aback, Haruka didn’t know what to do, because he felt afraid of the water for the first time in his life. Was this what Aiichiro had meant when he had told him about the power of the alive water? This was truly amazing and awe inspiring. But it had taken Rin and apparently didn’t want Haruka close. Rin had told him to wait. So even though he was worried immensely for him, he had nothing to do other than trusting Rin.

He returned to the land and sat there right on the edge of the river and waited with questions in his head. He really wanted to know where Rin had gone and how he used the power of the water to cure himself, but with a bit of regret, he realized that he might never learn it after their argument in that tent. He scratched at a spot on his stomach absentmindedly, wishing that he could at least enter the river and wash the burning sensation of the boils with the cool water, but it had to wait… He sighed deeply in resignation; wetting an handkerchief to dab on the lesions had to do for now.

In the past, Haruka would used to believe that water was solely his domain, but apparently the healer had a deeper and better connection with the water than him. Was it natural or was that something that could be learnt? With a twinge of jealousy, Haruka thought that he was never going to find out how Rin had achieved that. Here he was, who would have jumped right into the water after missing it for so long, sitting by it like a lost puppy, a bit unwilling to admit that the water was not solely his anymore. This was a strange realization, like the collapse of a belief after you had held onto it for all your life. Now he understood why he had that strange urge to buy Rin, why he couldn’t think of him away from himself. Because, Rin had everything that Haruka loved about water. It was as if he was the personification of it and Haruka didn’t remember yearning for anything more than it. It shouldn’t have surprised him to want Rin at the first sight instinctively and gladly suffer the burning process as that yearning for the water slowly evolved into yearning for Rin. The idea uncurled a knot of pleasure in his stomach and he bit on his lip at the uncalled for sensation.

Embarrassed and angry at himself for his thoughts, Haruka took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, then splashed some water on his face to cool himself off. He sourly gazed at the still waters, wondering what kind of a fool he had turned into. He was going to be the king of Shalbatana, but he had fallen for a Bey from the enemy country who was most probably a spy to the Kissaaran Sultan. He had to be a free man of probably very high status, whom Haruka had bought as a slave with shackles and all, and brought to the brink of death twice because of his carelessness… This alone was a reason enough to start a war, without even taking into account the fact that Rin could use water just like he could use fire. Apparently, Rin’s power went as far as healing by using the water, but who knew if he could also use it as a destructive force like Haruka could do.

Thinking about this was giving him a headache, but he had to relay all this information to Makoto sooner or later. He decided that he was going to hide this from him until the time that they’d see each other in person.

Sighing with a grim expression on his face, Haruka looked on at the river as if he was accusing it for all his troubles.

Unbeknownst to him, Rin was resting at the bottom of the deepest part of the river, static as if he was in a bubble. He was surrounded by the power of the Harin’s arank, which was a stronger one from Nefer’s, because this river and its oasis had a direct connection to Arda on the west. The river was coming from the east, creating two oases, with Harin being the larger one, and then it went underground in the distance to reach Arda on the far west.

He got quickly replenished and healed from all his injuries except the ones made by the chains. When he felt all the damage done to his organs was gone, he left himself drift in the water, thanking the arank. The spirit took the shape of a serpent around him, preferring that form to the humanoid look that Rin had seen many spirits liked to appear as.

“King, the one on the bank, was he the one who did this to you?” Harin coiled around him protectively, keeping him away from drifting.

“No, he brought me to you.” Rin had sensed how ready the arank was to attack Haruka if Rin would have said yes. “Don’t hurt him.” He calmed the spirit down.

“He is waiting.”

Rin didn’t want to get out and face Haruka yet. After their argument, they hadn’t gotten a chance to sort things out with him and Rin felt he owed Haruka a lot for doing this for him. He had a vague idea of how many days the brunette had to have ridden on to rush him here, leaving his caravan and responsibilities behind and cross the distance of three weeks in a week only to save his life. His heart was soaring with rapture at the immense dedication and selflessness Haruka had shown for him, and it broke apart when he remembered his oath to not get derailed by his feelings again. He wished that he could quickly find a way to escape from Haruka, because he no longer knew how to cope with it.

Though he had no idea how it had happened, Rin was sure that the one who had saved him was Haruka. He felt ashamed of himself for it, but he also remembered how he had burrowed into the brunet’s arms, how he had craved for that heat that would normally burn him, how Haruka had petted his hair and mumbled that it was going to be alright, that he’d protect him and keep him safe. He couldn’t deny that Haruka’s gentle voice and touch ebbed some of the pain away, long enough for him to fall asleep again. The memories made Rin feel like burning even in the cold of the river, but there really was no reason to be effected by it this much, right? They had no chance together, so, Haruka’s words and actions shouldn’t make his heart flutter or hurt, right? He had to turn back to reality and stop this useless way of thinking.

“King, what is causing you this sadness?” Harin’s guardian spirit sensed his turmoil and upset, willing to deal with the cause of them if Rin so desired.

Rin petted the serpent spirit’s head to calm it down. “Something not even you can help with, my friend.”

“It gives you physical pain here.” The spirit nodded at Rin’s chest and Rin felt the arank taking the unwanted feeling away.

“Thank you, Harin.” He knew that he had to go, even though he could have spent days in this river, hiding from all the trouble that awaited him on the land. “I need to leave now.”

The serpent uncoiled around him and asked in a bit dejected but very hopeful manner. “Will you come again?”

Rin kicked towards the surface, loving the way how his body felt just like the way it did in Nefer. Strong, healthy, and revitalized... But his mind and heart were far from being like that. “I really wish so, but, I don’t know.” He told the truth.

Harin’s aura projected his sadness. “So be it, my Lord.”

Rin saluted the spirit and it answered back reverently as Rin reached the surface and swam towards the shallow part where Haruka was waiting for him patiently. He found his footing and got out of the water, instantly hit by the desert night’s cold. It helped to clear his mind. He approached Haruka, aware that he was willingly returning back to his enslaver. Yet that enslaver had that worried look on his face, even something soft like happiness and thankfulness  in his eyes and that had to be the irony of their lives.

“You have been gone for nearly an hour.” Haruka was looking at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. Finding him well again after tending his sick body for so long had to be like a miracle for him.

“It takes some time.” Rin lied, walking among the thick foliage, following Haruka to where he guessed the camels were.

“How do you feel?”

“As if I have never gone through all that sickness…” Rin rubbed at his naked and wet arms, happy to feel strong and full again. On the corner of his eye, he saw that Haruka was looking at his wounded wrists with an upset expression which ignited a spark of old anger in him, but he squashed it. It was useless; he was going to wear those chains again.

When they reached to their animals, Haruka found and gave him a change of clothes, awkwardly rummaging with the bags tied on the camel to give Rin some privacy. Coincidentally, the chains were also in that bag, but Haruka thought that they could wait. He brought out meat, fruits and bread and sat beside the animals, waiting for Rin to join him.

Rin sat in front of him and began to eat like a wolf, not able to keep eye contact with Haruka for long, still a bit flushed because of the memory fragments of their travel.

“Eat up; we have got more food, though they are all dried kind.” Haruka pushed the food towards him. “You must be hungry.”

Rin didn’t feel hungrier than normal, but eating without the fear of retching or vomiting it all afterwards was a good thing. He smiled sheepishly, realizing that he had to be looking like a vulgar man starving. “Thank you.” He whispered, gazing up at the brunet.

Seeing that smile, Haruka realized how much he had missed it. “You smiled. I guess I can finally believe that you are alright.”

Rin tried to hide his embarrassment by nibbling on more food. “I am... Thanks to you, Haruka.” He was honestly grateful for the things Haruka had done for him, but he didn’t know how to express it. He just wished that Haruka would stop looking at him as if he was something amazing. So, he diverted his attention elsewhere. “I remember nothing of that night after Zinan’s man tried to cut my hand. How did you find me?”

Haruka’s eyes immediately went for that deep wound on Rin’s hand and his relief was visible even to Rin when he saw that it was gone. Haruka’s concern struck a chord in Rin’s heart.

Haruka guessed that what Ai knew, Rin knew, too. So there was no need to hide it. “The ifreet of the camp fire told me.”

Rin’s eyes widened comically. “So they are real?” He grinned, forgetting the awkward atmosphere as his attention was totally captivated now.

“Your friend is quite clever.” But Haruka’s comment faltered Rin’s joy. “And really direct... He used that information to bait me into revealing him our route.” Haruka told without any ill feelings. “Which, I must say, was needless; because I’d get you to wherever you’d need to go for you to get better.”

Rin was flattered by Haruka’s willingness to go anywhere that Rin’s wellbeing would require, but he was also reminded of the unpleasant subject of how much Ai had to reveal to persuade Haruka to come here.

“I think now you know the difference between alive and dead water?”

Haruka nodded at that, still looking inconspicuous even though he was really curious to learn how Rin could differentiate between the water types. Most importantly, had Rin been mapping out where to find the alive resources and which ones to ignore because they were dead and useless? The doubt was killing him, but he held his tongue.

“A secret for a secret, Aiichiro had said.” He burrowed into his khalat. “We’ll talk about it later on.”

Rin could only nod at it vaguely, not willing at all, but he had to eventually figure out how much of it was still a secret. “So... What happened to Zinan?” He changed the subject.

There was no need to hide it from Rin. “Before we left, the soldiers had set him free. He was gone before we knew it.”

“He did get away, huh?” Rin grimaced at the bread in his hand, guessing the reason. “Who testified against him? You?”

“And Meera, together with that servant who had tried to escape from him...”

“No wonder the testimony of two slaves didn’t hold much weight against a free man’s, right?” Rin bit into the hard bread viciously.

Haruka knew where this conversation was headed to, so he steered away from there. “He paid the fine, left his caravan and then ran away.”

Rin chuckled humorlessly and rolled his eyes at the predictable outcome. “Why am I not surprised?” He murmured to himself.

“Rin, I have a man trailing after him. Rest assured that he’ll be dead.” Haruka was still regretting the moment that he had let Zinan go alive.

Rin didn’t say anything. He knew that Zinan was going to die sooner or later. Maybe he was already dead and they didn’t get the news yet.

“Why was he vomiting blood? You were covered with his blood. What have you done to him?” Haruka had absolutely no guess, so he had been wondering this for quite some time.

Rin refused to talk about that aspect of his power. “His man stabbed Meera in the chest, cutting her main artery and heart. I used all my energy to heal the fatal cuts. In my depleted state, it wasn’t even enough to close the wound completely. What could I have done to him when I was drained and helpless? I couldn’t even feel my legs or see his disgusting face.” Rin trembled when he recalled the horrible feeling. “I have no idea.”

Haruka was aware that what had happened to Zinan was somehow Rin’s doing. But he didn’t pursue that thought to not discourage Rin from speaking to him.

“You know that man made me drink poison, right? When I had entered the tent, he was smoking something funny smelling, not just tobacco. Maybe he got poisoned, too, for all I know. That man was crazy enough to try it, since he was probably the only one with the antidote.”

“Possibly...”Haruka just nodded at Rin’s reasoning.

Rin guessed that Meera had told Haruka everything that Zinan had said to him. He just hoped that she’d excluded those parts about Haruka’s interest in Rin. “Is she okay?” He was worried for Meera.

A bit bothered by how much priority Rin gave to the slave girl, Haruka nodded. “Meera was on her way of recovery. She should be fine by now.”

“And Ai?”

“He was very worried for you. He even threatened to kill me if you’d die.” Haruka sourly looked sideways, remembering the impudent way the silver haired boy had talked to him.

Rin actually laughed at it. “Don’t tell me you agreed to rush me here because you were afraid of the death threats of a chained down guy.”

Haruka watched Rin’s merriment, a bit insulted. He didn’t want to say that he rushed him here because he was worried sick for Rin’s wellbeing; that he couldn’t sleep because even then probability of losing him tormented him enough to keep him awake. He’d rather die than telling these to someone who possibly didn’t feel the same way he did. Actually, he had no right to even feel disappointed by it, because he had been the one deceiving Rin from the start. He didn’t deserve the healer’s love, but deep down inside he was wishing for it. “Do you really need to ask me that, Rin?”

For the first time in days, Rin actually looked at Haruka’s eyes. The sincerity and hopeful expectancy in them arrested his breath and color rose on his face. Envying Haruka for always being able to say things like this effortlessly, without a trace of discomfort, Rin wished he’d have a place to run away and hide from him. He didn’t want to acknowledge Haruka’s intended message. _I_ _saved you, because you are important to me._

“I don’t know why you did it, but thanks for saving me.” He was unable to hold that earnest gaze as he lied. Yet Haruka deserved to know some truth. “And that night in the tent... I spoke with anger. I know I have given the otherwise impression, but you should know that I don’t hate you.” He added as if it was an afterthought. But it was enough to widen Haruka’s eyes.

Rin’s bitter words and anguish of that night was still vivid in Haruka’s mind. He had felt it in his own bones, how deep Rin’s sadness and desolation was. He was the cause of them. “I can only guess how hard it must be for you to not hate me.” He sighed, averting his eyes. How could Rin not understand why he had done all these was beyond him. He risked his own life, his safety, his caravan just to find a cure for Rin, but Rin wasn’t even willing to hold his gaze. He guessed he didn’t deserve better.

Rin chanced a glance at Haruka and saw how dejected he was. He bitterly cursed his heart for still getting effected by Haruka’s sadness. _Oh, you can never guess how hard it is to not love you._ It was impossible to ignore the fact that Haruka had crossed the desert like the lightening just to find a cure for him. How could his heart not beat for a man like that? “You only do what you have to do. I resent my fate, not you.” He felt the need to say it again.

Haruka just nodded, not believing Rin at all, so he said nothing. He turned his attention at the sky wondering about the fate that Rin detested. It had brought Rin to him, so he couldn’t say the same thing about it like Rin. Rin was trouble in every sense of the word, but Haruka was thankful to the fates for bringing Rin to him. Knowing that he was the only one feeling this way about their situation was understandable, but also heartbreaking. Haruka wished he had the courage to reverse it.

“So, what do we do now?” Rin’s question got him out of his dark musings and pointed to a real problem.

“In the morning, it’ll be six days since we parted from the caravan. My best guess is we are alone here in Harin for at least twelve days.”

That was too long for Rin. “Can’t they follow the route that you used?” He really couldn’t imagine how he’d spend all those days alone with Haruka, constantly keeping his emotions in check.

“They can’t. No one uses that route because there are fewer wells and only a couple of them had water which was already murky. But since they don’t have to think about Zinan’s group now, they can move faster.”

Rin remembered Meera again; his face fell at the idea of her left in the hands of those men. “Was Meera really alright?” He asked, though he didn’t hope for anything.

Haruka scrutinized Rin, trying to understand why he was inquiring about the slave girl this persistently. “Are you in love with her?” He had a sour and distant expression.

Rin’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. Normally he would have laughed and waved it off, but it presented a good opportunity. “Why do you ask?”

Haruka felt a bit disheartened at how Rin chose a roundabout way. “Just curious...” He knew that he had no right to ask, but he couldn’t bear the idea of him falling for someone else.

Not taking the bait, Rin shook his head. “I don’t want to answer to that.” _Since you don’t talk..._

Haruka wondered if buying Zinan’s slaves from him had been a mistake and if he had created a chance for the two of them to be together by his own hands. The idea burned him, but he reminded himself that he had done it for the sake of saving people from the clutches of a tormentor. That thought cooled him off a bit.

“I bought her.” He declared with an aloof air about him. “Together with all of Zinan’s slaves.”

Now that was some news for Rin. His eyes rounded and he tried to suppress his smile to keep a neutral look, because Haruka had spoken in a businesslike manner as if to remind him that he owned Meera now. Rin didn’t heed that tone of voice, he was happy for the poor girl. Every form of slavery was damnable in Rin’s eyes, but at least Haruka was a good man and valued people’s lives enough to probably spend a fortune to save them from that vile man.

“Thank you.” Rin felt grateful, consoling himself with the idea that at least those people were in better hands now.

But his happily shining eyes cemented Haruka’s jealousy and ire even though his face stayed the same. Had he been a heartless man, he would have squashed that gratitude by saying that _they were cheap, so it was a profitable transaction,_ but he wasn’t like that even though Rin had to be thinking otherwise. He turned his face away, holding his tongue. “Whatever.” He shrugged in a dismissive manner. “We are a bit away from the city gates and there is some time to the dawn. I need to sleep, so I need to use these.” Haruka took out the chains.

Expecting it, Rin just let him reattach the shackles on his feet, suppressing the knee jerk fight or flight reaction of his body. Haruka locked one of his own wrists to Rin’s, so he guaranteed that he wouldn’t be able to run away. But because of the short distance between the cuffs, they had to sleep really closely. Rin felt color rise on his cheeks even though he had been practically using Haruka’s chest and arms as a blanket for the past five nights. He ignored it and burrowed into his coat, leaning against one of the camels, side by side with Haruka. Surprisingly, even after five days of sleep, he felt his eyelids getting heavy and he was asleep in no time.

By the steady breathing of his companion, Haruka sensed the moment that Rin fell asleep. Emboldened by it, he closed the uncomfortable distance between them and leaned towards Rin. Now that Rin was safe and healthy again, Haruka’s mind was at ease and he was asleep, too.

Even though forced by the circumstances, after spending nearly a week in each other’s arms, it shouldn’t have been a surprise for them to find themselves in that same position in the morning, entangled in a tight embrace. Rin’s face was buried in Haruka’s neck and one of Haruka’s arms were acting as a pillow for Rin, his fingers through his hair, and the other was pressing Rin to his chest. Their legs were tangled, too, and they looked quite comfortable in that position until Haruka woke up.

When he opened his eyes, it was a few hours past the dawn. Not a bit bothered by their sleeping positions, Haruka listened for any noise or movement around. Making sure that they were alone and safe, he turned his attention back to Rin. The healer was still asleep, his steady breath tickling Haruka’s neck. He couldn’t see Rin’s face, but he was sure that the healer looked better than he had been for days. He still didn’t know how Rin used the water as a source for his healing, but he was going to try his chance even if Rin wouldn’t answer. Yet it could wait, there was no need to rush.

He started playing with Rin’s red hair. The long tresses were shining cleanly and healthily under the sun now. Two sun maidens of his were sitting beside Rin in their ethereal bright forms, smiling down at him and talking among each other. Arinna’s fascination and deep interest for the healer had become a usual occurrence, so Haruka just let the girls be, because even though he had asked them many times, the spirits would not tell him why they favored Rin. Just like the ifreets... Rin was the first person in Haruka’s life that his spirit servants openly showed their love and protection. He believed that the reason was his feelings for the healer. He sighed and continued petting Rin’s head, until he stirred and then went still like a statute for a few seconds. Then he bolted out of Haruka’s embrace as if a snake bit him. Stung by the healer’s reaction, Haruka got up, too, and procured the keys to unlock his cuff and give Rin more space, because he really looked like he wanted to be away from Haruka now.

After Haruka attached his cuff back on his wrist, Rin turned a bit away to hide his red face. “Sorry, I must have rolled towards you in my sleep.” He mumbled lamely and without waiting for a reply, he went to the bank to wash his face.

Haruka followed him, cleaning himself, too, trying his best to hide his lesions as he did so. He really wanted a dip in the river, but he was sure that Rin would find him going in the river with his clothes on weird. He returned back to their resting place and got out some food, sharing it with Rin who was still avoiding looking at him. Was his touch really that repulsive for the healer to make him scramble away from him like that? The idea upset him greatly, but he buried the feeling to mull over something else.

They had to enter the city and find lodgings, because they had to wait more than ten days for the caravan to arrive. He wanted to lay low and just mind his own business here.

Harin was the capital city of Belili even though it bordered on the southeast with another country, Ingria, Haruka’s destination. And the city was famous for its slave markets. It was the best place for the outlaws and the bandits to flock and mingle in, because it was big. They brought the people that they captured or kidnapped here to sell at quite high prices. In fact, if one was not careful, he could get in the hands of these men if they looked weak enough to not put up much fight. Law force was a bit lax here, even worse than in Nefer.

He didn’t want to saunter around with a chained slave following after him in such a city, because Rin was already capable of drawing enough attention on himself with his good looks. The chains would pique much more unwanted attention on them and that was the last thing Haruka needed here. He knew that Rin wouldn’t try to run away from him, because he would possibly want Ai and Meera with him when he’d give a try at it. But that didn’t mean that some other people wouldn’t want a piece of him if they’d realize that Haruka and Rin were alone here.

This was troublesome, because Haruka didn’t have a storehouse in Harin like he did in Nefer and many other places. He didn’t like this city and kept his contact here in the minimum that he could manage, so he had never needed a house here, though he could see how it was a necessity now. _Tough luck..._ He shrugged, they were going to open their eyes wide.

“What now?” Rin interrupted his musings. He had finished eating and got up.

Haruka got up, too, urging the camels towards the river. “We go to the city, find lodgings and wait.” That was the simple plan.

They readied the camels and got on them, leaving that small haven behind. They followed the river, the trail getting weaker or stronger at places. As they approached the city, they began to see travelers, some of them were caravans and some were lone people mostly on horses.

Rin was seeing this place for the first time, impressed by the size of the city. Interestingly enough, there were houses outside of the city walls, as if they were the slums, mostly housing poor people as far as Rin could see. It didn’t look very welcoming and Rin didn’t like it. “Where are we going?”

“To the Customs. Now that we have reached here first, we have to arrange the formalities for the caravan, too.”

Rin followed Haruka through the gates of the city and Haruka directly headed to the Customs Office. But what awaited them there was real trouble.

The soldier knew Haruka from their earlier visits, so he took them aside and told them the story.

“Two days ago a Bey called Zinan came and he died here yesterday. But before dying, he made an allegation on you, Bey. He claimed that you had unlawfully taken his slaves away, swindled him out of his merchandise by framing him about a crime he didn’t commit. He also claimed that a red headed slave of yours tried to kill him, which was why he was vomiting blood.”

“But those are all lies.” Haruka related what had actually happened in that second outpost. “That man had been found guilty and I had bought those slaves from him at their half price as a compensation for the crime he committed against me and my people. He was the one who tried to poison that slave to rape him and then kidnap him. The captain of Ikan’s garrison gave his verdict on it and the case was closed.”

The soldier didn’t look a bit surprised. “Is this that slave?” He nodded towards Rin, whose hair was covered by a turban. Trusting the man, Haruka nodded. “I guessed that it had to be something like that, Bey, I know you since you were a child. But that man swore vengeance and his men pressed charges against you. You are wanted here.”

Haruka tched loudly, covering his face with his turban as he checked around the building to see if there was anyone eavesdropping. “Couldn’t your people ask from Ikan?”

“We already did by birds, but it requires sometime as you can guess. I think we’ll have an answer within three or four days. During that time you should stay away from here.”

“I had a man trailing after Zinan, any news on him?”

The soldier’s face fell. “We found a dead body a few days ago on the river bank, close to the lake. Other than that, no one contacted us.”

“A long haired man with beads on his beard? Tall and muscular?” Haruka hoped for a negative answer, but the soldier’s eyes were filled with recognition.

Haruka thanked the man by giving him a small pouch of gold. “Where would you recommend us to go?”

“The eastern side of the slums is shabbier but quieter.”

Haruka took Rin and quickly left the building, his fury immense. He had lost a good man and Zinan had pulled a fast one on him even while he was dying. The guy was lucky to be dead, because if he had been in Haruka’s hands right now, he would have seen that there were worse things than death.

Rin was feeling the same. He knew that Zinan would be dead by now, but that lowlife had still managed to ruin their life in his death bed. Now they had to hide both from the authorities and Zinan’s loyal followers who had sworn vengeance on them. Why was his life getting harder and harder in each step that he took since he had met Haruka, he couldn’t understand. He could see how furious the brunet was, his eyes were like the focal points of a storm. He just followed him and they entered the bazaar to buy food. Haruka bought quite a lot, making Rin carry the most of them. They returned back to where they had tied their animals and set for the east of the city, the complete opposite side to where they had entered from.

Haruka could see that there were travelers that chose to camp on the slums, a bit away from where the houses were. He considered finding a room for the two of them, but he was sure that in the morning, neither the camels would remain in where they’d tie them at, nor his money or Rin.

“We’ll spend a few nights outside, sleeping in turns, eating dry food, and drinking from the river, sorry.” Haruka murmured, still angry. “Those men will pay for this dearly. They don’t know whom they have gone cross with.”

Rin was sure that those men had their days numbered. Haruka’s eyes were as cold and as set as a knife. He looked untouchable and for a moment Rin thought that if they wanted, he and Haruka could just deal away with anyone in quite a brutal way with using the fire and the water as their weapon and be invincible. He respected Haruka yet again for not resorting to such a base and impulsive behavior. Zinan would have been a devastator with a power like theirs. Thankfully he was on his way to be useful for once and be a fertilizer for the earth here.

They walked in silence and found the river again on the east side. Houses followed the river bank up to the far east, to the first oasis, which was a smaller one than Harin’s. It was too far away to see with naked eye, but in fact, just a few hours of horse ride away from the main city. The river banks were used as gardens and the land looked quite fertile even though the river did not have much width or depth.

Haruka chose a spot with the fewer houses or campers around and unloaded the tent equipment on Rin’s animal. Finding a spot with a shade was impossible, because they all belonged to the people of the city, but this was better than having to sit and sleep under the sun. They could have returned to where Rin had healed himself, too, but it was two hours of walk away and Haruka wanted to be close to the gates.

Within a few hours, their tent was ready and they had a fire going thanks to the coal pieces that Haruka had bought. The fire was quite small, but Rin managed to cook a stew with potatoes, carrots and meat for the two of them. It was already the evening, so they ate in silence, mostly observing the town’s folk and the travelers.

This was a peaceful spot just like that soldier had said. Everyone minded their own business. People were poor, their houses looked even poorer. Rin guessed that the gardens belonged to the rich of the city and these people living close to them were working and guarding the fertile lands in exchange of money. They talked a bit about them and how the city was filled with uncanny people of all kinds from all nearby towns and cities.

“I see you don’t frequent this place.” Rin observed.

“I do, but I just stay for two or three days here. So I never needed a house in the city.”

Rin was still eating as if he was trying to compensate for all those days without solid food. Haruka was a bit amused by his appetite.

“We’ll get bored here, doing nothing.” Rin murmured as if he was talking to himself. “We have too much time to kill.”

“You can eat and rest. You have been ill for the past weeks, I am sure your body needs it.” Haruka offered.

“Actually, I don’t need them more than I’d normally do. I haven’t been healthy like this since Nefer.” Rin shrugged.

“That time in Nefer... When you dove under and stayed there... You healed yourself then, too, right?” Haruka was quick to put the pieces together.

“I did.” Rin smiled at the memory, “And no, there wasn’t any animal in the water, hiding in the depths.”

Haruka smiled at it, too. “But the water moved. Like a great animal, it stirred as soon as you entered it. Just like in here...”

It was no use to deny it now that Haruka had sensed it twice. “That is the power of the alive water.” He explained. Then his smile took on a mischievous edge. “Are you trying to learn how I do it?”

Haruka’s expression was completely guileless. He wasn’t baiting the other into talking about it, but it was true that he was curious. “I had no such intention. But if you’d talk about it, I’d gladly listen.” He smiled a bit.

Rin believed him. “I will, but if you tell me more about your ifreets. A secret for a secret, remember?” His eyes shone brightly, their color augmented by the small fire he was sitting before.

Would a spy be willing to disclose a secret of his to get more information on others, Haruka had no idea. But unless Rin would learn that he was the sole prince of Shalbatana and manage to escape with this information, learning more about Haruka was useless for him. His doubt was ever present, but he intrinsically trusted Rin, too. He didn’t know if his feelings were clouding his judgment, but he decided that until they’d talk face to face with Makoto, Haruka was just going to observe Rin more.

“What do you want to learn about them?” He gazed into the small fire and watched the equally small ifreet dancing on the coal pieces as if he had no care in the world.

“Is there one in this fire, can you see it?” Rin was very impressed and happy that Haruka was willing to talk about the spirits.

“Yes, there is a small one. He is swaying to the flames, watching you.” Haruka threw a coal piece at the fire and the djinn happily devoured it.

“Me? Why me?” Rin found it curious. Could the spirit sense the power in him?

“I don’t know; they refuse to tell me. All the camp fires, even the one of the storehouse in Nefer were fascinated by you.” Now that Haruka thought about it, the ifreets acted as if they were in love with Rin, right from the moment that they had met.

Rin was looking at the fire, hypnotized by the things he was hearing. He only had the chance to meet two aranks since he had been enslaved and neither of them had shown a special interest in Haruka. He wondered if the Suvkis would see him, how the mermaids would react to Haruka.

“When a fire goes out, does the ifreet die with it?” The aranks would just return back to the depths of the earth, dissolving and mingling with the collective spirit of the whole waters of the earth that was believed to be placed there by the god of all waters and seas. There, they’d wait to reborn somewhere else as the times and the world would evolve and change.

“No, there is no death for them. If they don’t have a place where people build fire frequently, they just return to the great essence in the underground.

“But you have said that they are a part of the sun; that your sun god governs over them...” Rin was a bit confused.

“Have you ever seen a mountain spewing fire and spitting liquid rocks?” When Rin shook his head, Haruka continued. “They say there are mountains like this in the further south, where Arda is born. The fire bursting from them is believed to have been put there by the sun god, when the world was created. So, these ifreets return there, right back into the essence of the sun and wait there to be reborn again.”

Haruka’s explanation was uncomfortably similar to the one Rin had about the aranks. It was eerie and truth be told, Rin was a bit concerned by it. His smile was fading, but he tried to hide his discomfort.

Haruka went on. “They are like a hive mind, as if they all share their knowledge, past and present, but they also have individual personalities.” _They can also read my mind and feelings, but you don’t need to know it._ Haruka thought.

 _Just like the aranks..._ Rin cringed at the similarity. “They obey you, right?”

At that Haruka smiled a bit. “They do, but sometimes not willingly.”

“Why?”

Haruka shrugged. “I guess my power is still immature.” Which was half of the truth. He couldn’t completely control them or the Arinna because he was not balanced and Haruka didn’t think that he was going to find his equilibrium anytime soon. “So, it is your turn now. How do you cure yourself with it?”

Rin considered lying, but that would be unjust and unlike him. “Water has healing properties. I just borrow it and use it to heal myself, just like I use my own power to heal other people.”

 _Just as fire has a cleansing aspect..._ Haruka thought. _But I can’t use it ._ “Where does that power come from? How can you even understand which one is alive and which one is stagnant?”

Rin really didn’t want to talk about the aranks. He was afraid that Haruka could also see the similarities and get suspicious and pry into more relevant information.“I just can feel it when I touch it.” He gave a vague answer. “When the water loses its connection that keeps it dynamic, the power is gone, too.”

Haruka guessed that there was something else that Rin refused to share with him. He didn’t press to learn it, not willing to scare Rin away from telling him some other time. “I wish I had your power instead of my immature, incomplete one.” He confessed honestly.

Rin could understand the envy and the longing behind Haruka’s impossible wish. So he smiled to cheer him up. “But then you’d never get out of the water and eventually turn to a fish.”

Contrary to Rin’s expectation, Haruka actually loved the idea. “I’d really prefer that to this.” He sighed, hearing the small ifreet laughing at his wistful way of thinking.

“Maybe at another lifetime your wish will come true...” Rin hoped sincerely, still smiling. “Then I might have a similar power like yours that’ll suit my red hair and eyes more, I guess.”

“No, I can’t think of you in another way.” Haruka rejected the idea immediately. Then his eyes filled with admiration. “You are fine the way you are.” He smiled softly at the show of pleased surprise on Rin’s face.

Rin thought that his face had to be red like a tomato, because he felt his skin burn under Haruka’s ardent gaze. He helplessly turned his eyes away, desperately wanting to hide his face, but couldn’t. How was he going to spend ten days with Haruka if he talked and behaved this way all the time? He wished that the rest of the caravan would quickly arrive; even the scouts would be enough, so that Haruka’s attention would be diverted elsewhere.

Realizing that he had embarrassed Rin with his words, Haruka deemed that this much talk about spirits and powers and supernatural was enough for one night. “Are you sleepy?” He asked.

When Rin shook his head, he gave him a small dagger that he had been carrying in his belt. “Here, it is for protection. One must keep watch while the other sleeps. Would you be the first one staying awake and wake me up when you feel tired?”

Rin’s eyebrows furrowed at the dagger. “How do you know I won’t run away? You are too confident in yourself.” He took the weapon nonetheless.

“You can, if you want.” Haruka was completely neutral as if he was just stating a fact. “But this city is full of human traffickers and they’d be more than happy to take you away since you are already chained and all. Where and in whose hands you’d end up, only gods know.”

 _Sound reasoning..._ Rin conceded the argument. _But..._ “You underestimate me too much. Don’t you fear that I might cut your throat in your sleep?”

Haruka faltered and looked into his eyes long and hard, betraying how he couldn’t believe what he had heard and that alone made Rin want to bite off his tongue, wishing he’d never said something like that.

“I know you won’t do that, because you are clever enough to understand the implications of me giving that dagger to you. As I said before, I have never underestimated you, Rin. It is high time you should stop always taking your guard against everything I do or say.” Now with cold eyes, Haruka got up and disappeared into the tent.

Rin could only stare at his back, wanting to bang his head onto somewhere hard. Of course he understood the implications. Haruka had to be aware that Rin wouldn’t attempt to run away without Ai, so leaving him alone like this, unsupervised, didn’t actually mean anything. But this dagger... It was a cornerstone in their relationship. Haruka had shown him that he trusted him with his life by handing him a weapon, albeit a small one. And Rin felt like he had let down that trust put into him. Wasn’t he the one who had instinctively believed that Haruka would save him from Zinan, that he would understand the situation and find a way for him? Even though he had been upset with him, he had trusted in Haruka. And truth be told, Haruka hadn’t let him down. Hadn’t he been expecting the same level of intrinsic trust from Haruka? Now that he got it, he simply acted as if he didn’t value it.

He internally swore at himself, blaming his sharp tongue and quick temper. Then his anger cooled down when he remembered that it didn’t matter. _Let him think whatever he wants about me..._ He tried to shrug the aching feeling off. Though it hurt, it held no weight, because he knew that trusting each other, protecting each other, even loving each other were just useless things for them. His mind readily accepted these all, but he couldn’t stop his heart from craving them. And it hurt.

He sighed and looked up at the night sky. _Soon,_ he thought. _Soon I’ll be free again._ He tried to console the numbing ache in his chest. _Or I’ll go crazy in your hands._

* * *

 

The next day was quite mundane. Haruka took a long swim in the river, making Rin wait with the animals in case anyone would try to steal their belongings. With no choice, Rin lay under the shadow of the tent, bored out of his mind.

He considered simply leaving the animals to fend for themselves and take a walk around even though Haruka had warned him about the bandits and the thieves. But he stayed put, not because he feared of Haruka’s reaction or the outlaws, but he didn’t want to have an argument with Haruka.

When Haruka returned, he looked to be in a better mood now that he was clean and had his fill of swimming. “Would you like to go to the market place?” He offered. “I want to sell these animals, they are liability.”

Rin perked at his suggestion, his body needing the exercise. “But that soldier warned us about Zinan’s men, what if we run into them?”

Haruka nodded at Rin’s reasoning. “But that’s a low possibility and I think we have nothing to fear.”

Rin would have snorted at Haruka’s self confidence, but that would be an insult. He showed the brunet his chains. “Yeah,” He derisively smiled. “With these on, I agree that we have nothing to fear.”

Rin had a point, so Haruka relented. “Alright, but I’ll just unlock the ones on your ankles. To move quickly if anything happens...” And Rin started to get ready.

They shared the weight of their provisions and the tent equipment. There were gates on this side of the walls, too. They entered from them, not caring about how crowded the streets within the walls were. They both wanted to see the oasis, but that had to wait for another time, so they headed for the nearest market place.

It had been quite easy to sell the animals, since they were young and strong ones. Haruka bought some fresh fruit and vegetables for Rin, because the healer seemed to have missed eating them. He also bought fish which was something he liked immensely.

Rin had been thinking about how to cook them when they came closer to an auction. His mood immediately went down the drain when he saw the slaves waiting in line to be presented to the audience. He quickened his pace, disturbed by the sight. But in his haste, he bumped into someone, the area was so crowded. And when he looked up to apologize, his blood ran cold and he made a double take, unable to believe his eyes.

This was the bandit who had pillaged the border village in Shalbatana, killed people and kidnapped them to sell to the slave merchants. The scar was still there; the bald and bulky man didn’t even spare him a glance as he grumbled several expletives and went his way.

Rin didn’t know how he could keep on walking after seeing him. His fists trembled with the force of his fury and disgust, but he reminded himself to stay cool. He desperately wanted to follow that ringleader to see what the hell he was up to in this city, knowing that his gang had to be somewhere close. But he went on his way, following Haruka, who didn’t say anything even if he had sensed that there was something wrong with Rin.

They returned back from the same gate without any incident, finding a new spot to camp. Haruka built a fire to cook the fish while Rin set up their tent. He was still thinking about the bandits’ ringleader. That guy had to have a really large web of accomplices to even come this far south freely and easily. He considered telling this to Haruka, but he remembered how Haruka hadn’t done anything even after he had told him that those bandits were from Shalbatana and were selling their fellow country men and women. He decided to keep this to himself.

They ate their dinner in companionable silence. Rin had never seen Haruka eating something with such a good appetite, so he gave a fish from his share to him. Haruka’s eyes actually shimmered upon Rin’s jest. Amused by Haruka’s reaction, Rin started to play with the fire as he listened to the sounds of the night.

This evening, they had found a spot closer to the river and they could even hear the voices coming from the people nearby. The houses on this side of the bank were not dense. There were street like spaces between each of them. Children were still playing and the people were washing their dishes and clothes and even themselves in the waters. The river was shallow at where they were, because some kids were even trying to catch fish with their bare hands and wooden sticks. There were small wooden bridges over the river at narrow spots, though people seldom used them. Some young men and woman were working in the gardens which were protected by high fences. By now, the people had to be inside their houses, eating their dinner and getting ready for the night. It was peaceful even though the night chill was quick to settle over them.

Haruka wore his khalat and handed Rin a blanket. He brought out the small pot that he had bought today and boiled water to steep tea for Rin. A jest for Rin’s jest...

When Haruka handed the nicely smelling hot beverage to him, Rin smiled, taking a whiff from it. “We even got our tea... Not so bad.”

Haruka would have preferred the security and the warmth of a room right now, but this was a nice arrangement, too. He sipped his tea, admiring the sky.

All was nice and uneventful until Rin’s attention was drawn by the hurrying women going in and out of a house close to where they had been sitting. Rin watched them, immediately guessing the reason from the occasional faint screams that they could hear, coming from the same house. There was a woman giving birth there.

Rin’s protective instinct told him to go and help, but he stayed put, because surely there had to be midwives living among these people, right? He continued drinking his tea, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from that house.

“Rin, what is it?” Haruka’s interest was caught, too. He turned his eyes at the far away scene.

“A woman is giving birth, I think...” Rin couldn’t hide his concern.

Rin’s willingness to help the people in need had always amazed Haruka, but he didn’t think that it was a good idea to meddle with the locals here. “I am sure she’ll be alright.” He assured the healer.

Rin bodily turned away from that direction. “Yeah,” he sighed, these people certainly could fend for themselves.

To make him forget about the scene behind them, Haruka changed the subject. “Today you were a bit put off in the market place...”

Rin knew that Haruka had realized his discomfort there. He shrugged. “Seeing that auction was not a good experience.” He wasn’t going to talk about the ringleader of the bandits, because frankly speaking, there wasn’t anything Haruka could do about him.

This was a touchy subject and Haruka knew that anything he would say might trigger an argument between them. He chose to not make a comment on it.

Haruka’s unwillingness to talk about it was enough clue for Rin to keep silent. Their talk would turn into a verbal spat and Rin honestly had no desire to rake over the coals of a past argument now. He poured them some more tea and his thoughts drifted to Ai and Meera. He wished that they’d hurry up and get here as soon as possible.

The night passed by like that with them taking turns in sleeping and keeping watch. After their breakfast, Rin continued watching that house, now seeing the worry and sadness on the people’s faces clearly under the sun.

“Haruka, can we go and have a look?” He was sure that something was not going right in that house. “If you unlock my feet, I am sure no one would find us odd and be vary of us.”

Haruka could understand Rin’s want of help, but it was dangerous. “I am not sure, Rin. I don’t think those people will simply let us near them. I don’t want attention on us.”

He was right, Rin couldn’t argue on that. But his conscience was bothering him. “What if they really need help?”

It was so hard to say no to Rin when he had that look in his eyes. “Alright, but if I get disturbed by anything, we leave.” He relented.

After Haruka unlocked Rin’s chains, they got together their belongings and approached the riverbank. There was a young man sitting on his hunches in front of the house, his face stricken and tired, his eyes swollen. He was smoking and rubbing at his face with his other hand compulsively. There were other people, too, as if they were waiting for something. Their faces were all grim and hopeless. The scene was quite dreary and Rin had a bit difficulty in approaching them the right way.

The two of them had already caught the attention of the waiting people, so Rin donned all his serious confidence and introduced himself to an elderly woman. “Obaa-san, I am a healer. I travel with my friend here, curing people. We were camping on that side and saw you. I offer my help if you’d like.”

Everyone’s attention was on them now. The women sized them from head to toe, even the young man gave them a once over.

The old woman made a sound in her throat. “What do you want? Money?” She asked, terse and suspicious.

Rin smiled at her mistrustfulness. “She has been in labor for more than twelve hours now, right? And going by the look on your faces, she is in a bad condition. Even her screams are faint now.” Then his face turned serious. “And no, I don’t take money or anything else for what I do.”

The women began murmuring among each other, impressed, but still doubtful.

“Let him have a look at her, Mother.” The young man waved his hand dismissively at them, totally hopeless. “We have nothing to lose at this point.”

The old woman _hmphed_ and opened the door to them. Rin entered, but Haruka chose to stay outside with the young man.

The pregnant woman was lying in a sea of her own sweat, blood and tears, unconscious. In all honesty, she looked dead; her complexion was sickly gray and gaunt. Not minding the two surprised midwives, Rin immediately came closer and put his hand on the stomach of the mother-to-be. It was not good. Rin concentrated on the heartbeat of the child and realized that she was carrying twins, whose heartbeats were shallow and erratic, too.

“They are dying. All of them...” His face turned grim.

“All of them?” One of the midwives asked incredulously.

“Yes, she has twins. They are about to suffocate there. She is too far gone. What happened here?”

The two women looked at each other in bewilderment, worry and fear written on their faces. “She is a weak woman, has always been. She fell too tired. The birth gap is wide enough, but she can’t push.” One of them explained as Rin took out his overcoat and turban and went for the water on the stove to wash his hands. He nearly boiled his own hands in the hot water, but there was no time to dwell on the pain as his core quickly erased the damage.

He put his hand back on the young woman for a moment, baffling the midwives again. “Her contractions aren’t strong enough. That’s why her pushes didn’t work.” He decided what to do, thanking the gods for chancing upon this, because there were three lives at stake here.

“Listen. I’ll wake her up, help her and she’ll push...

“No use!” A midwife shook her head. “She is too tired, she can’t push. The baby... The babies will die!”

Rin frowned at the older woman. “What are you going to do then? Wait until she dies?” He looked around and true to his guess saw metal operation tools waiting to be sterilized in the boiling water. His eyes got filled with anger. “So the father is that resigned because he is willing to sacrifice his wife?” He berated.

“A doctor is on his way!” The old woman derided him with the same fierceness as his.

“You should have called for one when she had her first contractions. The babies are dying!”

“We are not miracle workers! The best we can do is to save the children! If you know better then, do something!” She practically shouted at Rin, throwing the bloodied towel at him, walking away to the door.

Just then, Rin realized that the door was open and everyone waiting outside had been watching and listening to them, the father crying, but Haruka ever ready to help him if he needed. When they came eye to eye, Rin took courage from Haruka’s unflinching steely gaze. “Stop right there. You have work to do.” Rin ordered the older woman, all business. “I’ll wake her up and get her to push with everything she has. You two will assist the babies.”

The midwives had been ready to give up, tired and frustrated. But something in his countenance persuaded them. Rin nodded at them and knelt on the edge of the bed, putting both of his hands on her stomach. He concentrated and within a few minutes the mother to be was screaming on top of her lungs, wild awake.

“Hello, Okaa-san!” Rin forced a soft and friendly smile on his face, trying to look jovial and less threatening. “I am a healer and I want you to push, okay?” He exhaled tiredly, because more than half of his energy was gone. He needed the rest to stay awake and help the young woman.

Her answer was a loud shriek, due to the power of her contraction. Rin was pressing down towards her birth canal in synch with her contractions, knowing their time and intensifying them with his touch. He was even showing her how to breathe, the mother all flabbergasted, wide eyed, but trusting Rin instinctively, doing what he told.

“Stop sniveling there and come here and help your wife!” Rin called for the father to be and the young man was pushed into the house by the waiting people. Rin told him to go at the head of the bed and hold his wife’s hands to help her push.

Seeing her husband by her, the young woman smiled in her delirium. As if it gave her more energy she pushed better, looking up into her husband’s teary eyes.

The first baby came out quickly, his cry filling the house among the laughers of the people present. The younger midwife took him to clean and swaddle, Rin throwing a quick glance at him to see if he was going to be alright. Satisfied, he turned his attention back on the mother, because the other baby was about to die. Unable to tell it to not frighten the mother, Rin urged everyone to focus.

Haruka was watching everything with a slackened jaw, stuck there like a statue. He had never witnessed a birth before, let alone a hard one like this. The effort that the mother exerted astounded him, her will, the trust that she put in Rin... And he was amazed at Rin, at his selflessness, at his courage and how he had made everyone work for one goal. But most importantly, Haruka admired Rin’s willingness to partake from something very precious of his; his own wellbeing, his own health, to save others. He had never seen anyone like Rin and no one had ever made his heart beat in his throat for them like him. How could he not love this man?

In less than ten minutes, the other baby was born, too. Everyone had thought that it all finished, but the midwife couldn’t get her cry. She was blue in color and probably dead.

“I’ll help the baby, but no one stops me.” Rin looked into the anguished eyes of the couple and when they gave their consent, he took the baby from the midwife’s hands and stormed outside. Everyone, including Haruka, gaped after him, following Rin to the bank of the river.

Haruka held the father back, bodily stopping him from going after Rin, as the healer walked right into the river and sat in it, with the baby in his hands. People started to gather, watching them, probably thinking that Rin was a mad man with an unmoving baby in his hands.

When he saw Rin like that, Haruka stilled, captivated by the familiar sight, not even realizing that the young man he was trying to hold down was now crying onto his shoulder, falling on his knees together with him.

Three of his Arinna was around Rin now, illuminating him in a dreamlike golden hue, gazing down at him solemnly and reverently. He had never seen the girls do that to someone else other than him.

Rin was washing the baby in the river gently, his lips moving in that strange language of his, melodious, lilting, bringing the details of that fond memory of his to the forefront of Haruka’s mind. His eyes teared up, the scene of his own healing replaying in his mind, making him experience anew the feeling of being cleansed and being renewed to the morrow of his bones. He shuddered at the pantom sensation, wishing to taste it again, unbidden. The boils on his skin hurt tenfold with the strength of that desire. He was sure that if he’d enter the river now, he’d feel the water moving just like he had felt that time.

He couldn’t believe that the person he had been looking for all this years had been here, right beside him. Two drops of tear fell from his eyes, but he wiped at them, smiling wholeheartedly.

The baby was now crying in Rin’s arms and Rin was smiling, too, cooing at her as he got up and returned back to the land, handing the trembling, crying bundle into the father’s arms. The young man was so happy that he actually tried to kiss Rin’s hands who avoided it by patting the guy’s back and steering him back towards the house to get away from their onlookers.

Haruka followed them, awed and over the moon. He didn’t know how to contain his excitement and euphoria, but he had to hide them until he would have time to talk to Rin in private.

That boy, his little savior had been Rin, he was sure of it now. It was no wonder that he had been drawn to him at the first sight, fallen for him even though he knew how dangerous and impossible it was... How had he not realized this sooner, he didn’t know, but he was so grateful to the fates to bring Rin to him even after all these years.

And now that he had found him, nothing could make him let go of Rin.

-

_TBC..._

**AN:** Sorry for not answering everyone’s reviews and marvelous ideas. Hope this chapter was good enough. See you around guys!


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** _I don't know if there are still people reading this, but here it is, 30 pages of my blood and tears, lol. Have a good day/night, guys!_

 

**Chapter 11**

The day had been a blur for Haruka as he watched Rin and the midwives care for the babies and the new mother. The people’s eyes were filled with so much respect and awe that Haruka was afraid that they were about to prostrate before Rin to revere him. Rin was clearly depleted, but he was gritting his teeth and putting up with it to make sure that the mother and the babies were going to be alright.

The night was falling when Rin could finally drag his feet out of the house, refusing every offer of money the couple and their mother made. They were sent away with good wishes and blessings and full stomachs. For some time, they walked in silence towards a little bit south. Haruka was searching for a secluded spot for Rin to enter the river, because he looked awful.

Rin was aware that Haruka had questions in his head, but thankfully the brunet was not bombarding him with them. He was about to faint even though the family had cooked him a nice dinner and he had eaten enough for two. There were black spots on the edge of his vision and his stomach was hurting, preparing to hurl its contents. “Haru, gonna be sick...” He blindly reached for his companion and grabbed his arm before he doubled over with a pained moan.

Throwing their bags on the ground, Haruka caught him immediately. “Hold on, Rin, hold on!” He looked around to see if they were alone. There were some houses around and some people were still about, but Haruka had no choice. He dragged the heaving healer to the river, directly walking towards the deeper part of it. After a few hasty steps, due to the bottom of the river sloping with a sudden edge, he lost his balance and they fell into the deep in a heap of limbs and clothes.

Haruka’s first instinct was to kick and find his footing, but in his frenzy, his hold on Rin slackened and the healer slipped away from him like a fish. Panic seized him despite he knew that Rin was going to be alright. He dove into the dark water to find him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see anything other than shadows swirling in the blackness. Even then, he searched for him until his lungs burned with the need to breathe.

He kicked up, looking around if Rin had hit the surface, too, but no one was around other than a few people in the distance, asking him if he was alright. He waved them off, saying that he was just taking a dip. He quelled his panic and swam back to the riverbank.

He reached the dry land and found their belongings. With nothing to do, he decided that changing out of his wet clothes was better than idly waiting. He didn’t want Rin to see his lesions and get worried for him after witnessing how miserable he had been the whole afternoon. Just as he was putting on his shirt, he saw Rin swimming back to him. He smiled softly upon the healer’s sight despite himself.

“Sorry for getting you wet, Haruka.” Rin apologized needlessly, running back to where he was, all well and lively again.

“You called me Haru.” Haruka pointed out and Rin faltered in his haste a bit, his eyes widening.

“I did that, didn’t I?” Rin remembered. “Sorry, my tongue must have slipped.” He reached to where Haruka was and took the offered towel to dry his hair a bit.

“No, that’s... That’s fine with me...” Haruka hid his reddening face in his towel, turning a bit away.

Rin’s eyebrow quirked at Haruka’s bashful reaction. “Then I am going to call you that, Haru.” He smiled at him fondly, liking the sound of the name.

Haruka’s heart warmed at how easily Rin adapted to it. He handed Rin dry clothes and turned away to give him some privacy, still over the moon about his new discovery about their shared past.

When Rin finished, he shouldered half of their load and began walking away from the river. “We should find us a new spot and get warm.” He urged.

Within half an hour they were sitting before a small fire, their tent ready and two cups of coffee in their hands.

“That baby was dead...” Haruka said without any trace of judgment in his voice or eyes.

Rin’s lips thinned at the claim even though he was aware that Haruka meant no harm. In fact, he looked amazed and dare he say, excited, something he’d rarely displayed before. “Her heart stopped just as I took her to the river. But she still had the spark, so...” He stopped and sighed. “Haru, please don’t make me explain it all again...” He averted his eyes, a bit upset.

“No, no…. Please don’t take me wrong, I understand it.” Haruka didn’t mean to hurt Rin’s feelings. “It is a heavy burden and you do your best, I know it. Because I have been saved by you twice already.”

Rin looked back at him to see if there was a lie in what he had heard, but Haruka was Haruka, always direct, to the point and without lies. His face broke into a grin and he snorted a bit. “Twice?” He shook his head, unable to understand what Haruka had meant by the wrong number.

Haruka regarded the healer with a soft expression, not upset that Rin had forgotten about the kid whose eyes and fever he had cured a long time ago. “You can also cure people by borrowing water’s power, right?” He already knew the answer, but seeing Rin nod his head with questions in his luminous eyes was entertaining. “Tell me what kind of a feeling it is for the patient.”

Rin thought for a moment, not understanding where this talk was headed to, because Haruka was not asking questions to satisfy his curiosity, Rin could tell that. It was as if Haruka already had the answers and was simply verifying something. “They say it hurts...” He saw the spark of recognition in Haruka’s eyes and smiled a bit cautiously. “What...?”

“Then it happens only when you cure with the water, because I didn’t feel any pain when you treated my snake bites...” Haruka guessed.

“You have seen the mother, right? Had you been not on the verge of death and unconscious, you would have screamed your head off just like her, believe me. Both of my methods hurt, the pain varies according to the level of the ailment.” Rin explained, his suspicion growing.

Haruka had to make sure. “Rin, are there people like you, who have the same ability as you?”

Rin knew that he was unique. Maybe there were some other people with a healing ability of different sorts, but his core was one of a kind, both revered and feared by the ones who were privy of the exact nature of it. “There is none as far as I know.” He gave a roundabout answer. “What are you getting at to, Haru?”

Haruka visibly relaxed at Rin’s words. “I have a story to tell you.” He took a huge gulp from his coffee to settle some of his nerves.

Haruka’s excitement had to be contagious, because Rin couldn’t tear his eyes away from Haruka’s shimmering blue ones. “I have never seen you like this before.” He softly laughed.

“Because I have never felt like this before...” Haruka admitted earnestly, Rin’s eyes going wide upon his sincerity. “When I was nine, I had to leave my country for the first time.” Haruka began, capturing Rin’s whole attention. “My guardians and I travelled to the southwest. But on the way, in a completely different and foreign country, I started to run a fever. I had never felt like the way I did then, Rin...” His face got shadowed by the memory of the torment that he had gone through. “I was boiling in my own blood. I feared that my skin would bake and start to fall off of me. It felt that hot and unbearable. Hopefully, I’ll never get sick like that ever again.” He resisted the strong need to scratch at the sore itch on his left side, smiling ruefully at the irony of his situation.

Rin tried to keep his reaction in check, but he was familiar with that scorching feeling Haruka was talking about. He had gotten burnt by it numerous times. He had wondered how Haruka could live in his own skin, how he could endure that temperature when just touching him for a bit gave him blisters. Had his fever really been cured? If so, why was Rin getting burnt most of the time they touched with Haruka?

“While I was ill, I thought that I was going to die, slowly burn away and then extinguish like these flames.” Haruka went on, his eyes pensively gazing at their small camp fire. “But something worse happened. My eyes got infected by something and I started to go blind in a slow and agonizing way.”

That rang a bell in Rin’s head. He vaguely remembered treating a child in Quenaan when he was also a kid, after he was banished from Kissaara and was aimlessly wandering around with Sousuke’s and Seijuro’s fathers. His heartbeat turned erratic, his mind digging up the memory of it scene after scene as Haruka continued.

“I was so afraid, Rin... Away from home, in a land I couldn’t even see with my own eyes, I was so afraid. I even wished for death, because I thought I was going crazy. But then, one of my guardians found someone, a boy who told them that he could cure me.” Haruka smiled at Rin, his eyes reflecting his gratitude and love. Rin was mesmerized by that gaze, feeling his face getting red.

“That kid... I wasn’t able to see his face, but I do remember his touch, his voice... I have treasured his memory all these years, because that kid saved my life, broke my fever and healed my eyes, giving my life back to me.”

Rin swallowed at the hard lump in his throat, everything coming back to him now. He hugged his knees to himself, not sure how he felt upon this revelation. His emotions were running amok and he wasn’t sure how to express them, other than weakly asking, “How did he do that?”

“He washed me in a lake. I remember it so clearly, even though I screamed and trashed in his arms like I was dying.” Haruka laughed here, his eyes teary. “I remember that funny language of his, though I couldn’t understand anything. My whole body thrummed with his power, crystal clear like the purest of waters. I just couldn’t stop touching him, couldn’t let him go even after he finished and lulled me to sleep, making me promise to visit that lake back to thank it.” He furiously rubbed at his face, wiping away the collected tears before they fell. “Rin, did you visit that lake again after curing me?” He asked, looking directly into the healer’s equally teary eyes.

Rin didn’t know what to do with himself. He wanted to get away, his chest hurting. He covered his face with his hands, unable to keep the eye contact with Haruka, his mind still working, still replaying the consuming touch of that child, the severe burns that he got from him, his body temperature turning normal after treating him... How could he forget that small, clingy boy that inflicted upon him that much pain? And how could Haruka look at him with so much love when all Rin wanted to do was to run away from him and hide?

“I remember you.” He choked on the words, still hiding his face. “You looked so sad and lonely...” His heart revisited that old ache of his, that time when he had become homeless right after he had lost the most important person in his life, his father. “You were so homesick; your heart was so broken that you were dying because of it...” His voice was getting muffled by his hands and knees as he unconsciously tried to bury the festering sore that their shared past resurfaced. He no longer knew if he was crying for Haruka, for himself or for the both of them.

Suddenly, he felt arms around him and his body was gently steered into an embrace that he couldn’t resist even though he was startled. Haruka’s smell filled his nose and his initial stiffness dissolved gradually. He could feel his warmth even through their overcoats and he just let his head fall onto Haruka’s chest, forgetting all his earlier promises to stay away from him. Haruka was a fire and he was just a moth to his flame though he was yet to find out what it actually took to get completely consumed by him.

“Don’t cry, Rin.” Haruka petted Rin’s shoulder, leaning his chin on the crown of his head. “The moment I woke up, I began to search for you, but my guardians could neither remember your face, nor knew your name for some reason. I was devastated. I wanted to meet and see you so much that you had turned into one of my most vivid childhood memories. I had never met someone like you. Even though you were just a child, your strength, your serenity and maturity had amazed me. You might not believe me, but I have always admired you without knowing who you were.”

Rin listened to Haruka’s excited words with a soaring heart, trying to contain the love he felt for him. He was silently cursing the fates for the situation that he was in now, hopelessly in love with this precious fool who had always kept him in his heart as a dear memory, who was looking at him with so much love that Rin was getting burnt by the ardor of it. But in the end, though what they had here was heart wrenchingly beautiful, it had no future.

That thought sunk into his chest like a well sharpened knife, cold and solid. He slowly got out of Haruka’s embrace, acting as inconspicuous as possible to not make him think that he was trying to get away from him.

“Thank you.” He murmured and put some distance between them, hoping that Haruka wouldn’t pursue him.

Haruka reluctantly let Rin do what he wanted now that the healer had to be feeling better. “No, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life twice.”

Rin’s smile was a bit shaky and weak. “Then we are even now.”

Haruka’s good mood faltered a bit at Rin’s subdued behavior. “Are you alright?”

Rin nodded his head a bit too eagerly. “Those times weren’t so good times for me either. I can’t bring myself to remember them fondly, Haru.” Then he smiled.  “But at least you have something to...”

“And that’s the memory of you.”

Rin couldn’t hold that earnest and happy gaze. “I don’t recall all the people that I’ve helped in the past, but after you told me your story, everything resurfaced so vividly like it had happened yesterday. I had just lost my father then... I think I had seen a kindred spirit in your loneliness and longing.”

Haruka felt a pang of regret to hear that his pain filled story with a good ending for him was just a moment in the continuum of a sad story for Rin. “I am sorry for making you go through that pain again.”

Rin realized that he was about to ruin a memory that shaped up some of Haruka’s past and his present. “I’d rather go through that pain again and again than seeing you feeling bad for having that moment as a treasured memory in your heart and mind, Haru.” He reached for Haruka’s shoulder and willingly caressed him over his khalat, since there was no way to get burned through the thick cloth no matter how hot Haruka’s skin might be. “I am so glad that I was able to change your world for the better. I am thankful that you have never forgotten about me, Haru.” He nodded and this time his face was illuminated with a real smile.

Rin couldn’t even move or blink because he was mesmerized by Haruka’s blue eyes, shining like exquisite sapphires. For the second time, Rin saw the raw desire in them which took his breath away and reddened his face to the roots of his hair.

Haruka realized that he actually liked leaving Rin speechless, all flushed and wide eyed, looking absolutely beautiful. “I could never forget the hands that gave me my sight and world back, Rin. It is no wonder even before knowing who you really were; I couldn’t bear the thought of something bad happening to them.”

Rin’s mind replayed Haruka’s words from that night in Nefer, doubling his embarrassment and excitement. Burrowing deeper into his khalat, he abruptly changed the subject. “Can you be the first one to keep watch? I feel a bit sleepy.”

Haruka closed his hand over his mouth to stop himself from actually laughing at Rin’s bashful attempt at running away. It had to be too much for Rin to handle in one night, he could relate to the healer’s flight response. “Of course, Rin...” He relented and watched him hide in their small tent.

His eyes turned towards the black sky and hope filled his chest. Maybe little by little, if he could make Rin feel the same way for him, he could find the courage to confess his secrets and persuade him to stay with him. And going by Rin’s reactions, he believed that he was on the right track.

 

* * *

 

In the morning of their fourth day in Harin, Haruka decided that they could pay a visit to the Customs Office again to learn if the arrest warrant on him was lifted and if any scouts have arrived and were searching for them.

Rin was more than happy to follow Haruka into the city, because after last night, he desperately needed something else to divert their attention to.

Since they didn’t have their animals, they walked for some time to the other side of the city, but neither of them minded it. The city was lively and never boring.

Luckily, Haruka’s warrant was lifted, but the soldier had no information on any scouts arriving from his caravan. Rin was a bit put off by the second piece of news.

Relocating to an inn would be like inviting trouble, because Zinan’s men were still around, but at least finally they had no reason to avoid the authorities.

Now walking around the city aimlessly to pass time and look around a bit, their feet brought them to the oasis. The lake was twice the size of Nefer, and being the capital city where more money was accumulated, the houses in Harin were denser and more beautifully constructed. The shore of the lake from all sides had large gardens, where people grew vegetables and fruits. The fertile land was very precious and vital in places like this and the people of Harin were making the best of it.

“Too bad you can’t swim here.” Rin could feel the dejection rolling off of Haruka as they gazed at the lake behind the fenced properties. There were street like gaps between them with canals running around to provide water to the city, but Rin guessed that even Haruka wouldn’t risk being caught by entering the lake from those gaps.

“I don’t like this place.” Haruka mumbled sourly and turned away.

“Why?” Rin raised an eyebrow.

“People are hogging nearly the whole shore line. There is no space left to freely use the oasis.”

Rin followed him back to the bazaar, not making a comment. He found Haruka’s dislike darkly humorous. Haruka’s people were the prime example of the humankind’s attempt at taming the nature. Though he could relate to their reasons, what they had triggered was a slowly unraveling natural disaster. Everything seemed to be working for now, but the damage that they had been inducing upon the river basin would require hundreds of years to repair itself. After defending a dam like that, it was ironic that Haruka could declare how he didn’t like the way the people of Harin had tamed the land around the oasis for agriculture and irrigation. Rin would really like to have a talk with Haruka about his approach to this subject, but he wasn’t willing to have an argument with him which he was sure that would escalate into a screaming match. So he just let it go and stayed silent.

They decided to return to the eastern side again. At least there, Haruka could swim without a care. They walked until the sun began to set in the horizon in all reds and oranges, dying the waters in its colors prettily. The scene was better than in the lake and for that very reason Haruka offered to take a swim for a short while after all that long walking.

Rin loved the idea and they looked for a secluded spot to hide their belongings and enter the river. Haruka found it, a shallow spot where the current was slow, among tall wild flora that could hide them from prying eyes. He didn’t even wait for Rin as he dove into the river in the blink of an eye with most of his clothes on.

Rin shook his head at Haruka’s predictable behavior. Though he found it odd, he thought that Haruka liked water enough to not waste time in undressing. After hiding their bags, he entered the water, not hasty at all. The arank’s serpentine head immediately appeared on the surface, greeting him happily. Rin whispered back at the spirit and dove into the waters and swam towards the deeper part, he wanted to be away from Haruka and talk with the arank a bit.

The guardian spirit followed after him, coiling himself around Rin as he let himself to the gentle flow of the current.

“You have questions, King?” As usual, the spirit immediately felt what was in his heart.

“Harin, what do you think of him?” Rin looked towards where he could see Haruka drifting.

“He loves water.” Harin’s replay was quick. “He loves you.”

Rin petted the spirit’s snake like form to suppress his bubbling up emotions, but Harin was quick to catch on them. “And you love him, too. So what makes you concerned?” He asked.

“There is so much that concerns me, Harin, but most importantly, what is he? How does he feel to you?”

Harin stilled for a second, as if considering. Then he ominously declared, “He has a great power. With two aspects.... But his hands can only destroy, still unable to grow and build. He is an unfortunate man.”

Rin’s eyes widened at the spirit’s words. “Why is he that way?”

“He has no balance. He fears his power, just like you feared yours when your father passed away and when you healed your first patient.” Harin dissolved for a moment, leaving Rin to himself, but reappeared again and coiled around Rin’s arm. “He is harmless as long as he respects water.” He said the same thing Nefer had told Rin before.

“How can he give harm? He is a good person, isn’t he?”

“Yes, a good person he is. But he is becoming thirsty, slowly. And it is dangerous, it can burn.”

The riddle like talk of the spirit frustrated Rin, but, the aranks were this way, loving using roundabout speech. “Burn what, Harin?”

“Burn you and himself...” The spirit nodded with surety. “His power is dormant. Don’t do something to provoke and stir it, King. He might not be able to control it.”

The arank’s foreboding words really put Rin’s mood down the drain, but he couldn’t deny how important they were for him. “Should I be vary of him?”

“Now? Not as long as he respects water...”

Rin looked back at the surface and saw the spreading darkness. He thanked the spirit and kicked to the surface. The sun was already gone; the sky of the west was red, purple and pink with the stars visible now. Haruka was swimming freely like a fish as if he had no care in the whole world. Rin slowly swam towards the shallow part again, thinking that maybe swimming was the sole thing that could make Haruka appear this way. At least one of them was having fun.

When his feet found the murky bottom, Rin wrung the water out of his now longer hair and started to walk back to the shore only to be stopped by Haruka’s voice calling his name. He turned back and tried to appear normal, the arank’s words echoing in his mind. _He loves you..._ He would have never believed it, but if an arank had said it, it had to be true. The spirits had never lied to him before and that was the reason of his reddening face.

“Getting out?” Haruka swam towards him, hitting the shore in no time. As the brunet approached him, he saw how Haruka’s cream colored shirt clung to his shoulders and chest becomingly, all wet and half transparent. The self confident way that Haruka sauntered and shook his head to clear the water out of his dark hair all irked Rin for some reason. He felt so flustered and ready to run away. He couldn’t understand how Haruka managed to look so nonchalant and suave yet be unaware of the effect he created on Rin.

After finding their bags, Rin quickly dressed up and handed Haruka his clothes. He turned his back to the brunet to hide his face in pretense of giving him some privacy and waited for him.

When Haruka was fully clothed and no longer distracting, they looked for somewhere to spend the night.

 

* * *

 

The following day, after their breakfast, the two of them were sitting close to the river, observing people, sipping at the last dregs of their tea. Unbeknownst to them, they were both thinking how the awkwardness that had surrounded them in their first day together was dissipating slowly. They both felt more familiar and at ease with each other, though Rin was still a bit fidgety at times when he’d catch Haruka’s intensely blue eyes fixed on him in emotions that he couldn’t read. He refused to dwell on those moments, because then he’d get too flustered to face him.

The people living on the shore were going through the mundane motions of their life. The children were out and lively under the bright desert sun and were playing beside and in the merrily flowing river. Neither Rin nor Haruka had anything better to do other than watching the kids enjoy the lovely day. Rin marveled at the nice weather, wondering if it was due to his good mood and health. He was half correct, because it also had to do with Haruka’s happiness and contentment, too, but he didn’t know it.

“So, what is the plan for today?” Rin broke their silence, looking sideways at Haruka expectantly.

“We need something to cook for the night.” Haruka shrugged. “I guess a visit to the market place is necessary.”

Rin gave it a thought. They had finished the meat and the fresh vegetables that Haruka had bought earlier. They had to make frequent trips to the bazaar, because they bought things in small quantities, considering that they had no means to keep the food fresh. Rin was aware that Haruka was trying to feed him fresh things, avoiding the dried ones. It was one of Haruka’s ways of looking after him and it put a small and fond smile on Rin’s face.

“No need to go that far just to get food.” He turned towards his companion. “I can catch fish for you.”

The second he said that Haruka’s eyes widened and shone brilliantly, catching the sunshine in their blues. “Really?” His childish hopefulness was a sight to behold.

“Of course. Remember my father was a fisherman? Fortunately, I picked up a few of his tricks.” Rin winked at him, already starting to roll up the legs of his shalvar.

Contrary to his earlier lethargy, Haruka was excited now. He got up, too, though a bit unsure of what to do.

“Come on, take off your shoes, and roll up your sleeves. You’re gonna help me.” Rin looked around to find dry branches from the shrubs near them. When he found two long pieces, he handed one to Haruka. “To use as spears…” He sheepishly smiled, knowing that they weren’t really much sturdy.

They both got in, advancing towards a knee high part of the river where the current was gentle and the bottom of the river was visible.

Rin silently asked the arank to help him after he showed Haruka a spot for him to frighten the fish towards downstream. “Stay there and do not move.” He instructed. “When they approach you, try to scare them towards me.”

Haruka blinked at him in puzzlement. “Easier said than done... How am I supposed to do that?” He complained good-naturedly, smiling.

Rin chuckled at that. “Just follow your instincts. If you can’t do it with that frustrating calmness of yours, nobody can.”

Haruka’s eyebrows rose in amusement. “You think my calmness is frustrating?”

 _Opps…_ Rin averted his eyes, pretending to search for fish in the river. “At times…” He confessed. “You have quite the gambler’s face.”

One of Haruka’s hands went for his face thoughtfully. “I was born like this, though. I am not making an extra effort for it.” He mumbled.

“Exactly…” Rin smiled. “That’s one of your charm points.” He commented offhandedly, only belatedly realizing the whole meaning of what he’d just said.

To his credit, Haruka effectively let it slide, because he was busy with trying to hide his own smile from Rin. While he was wondering what other charm points he had, a couple of fish approached him, swimming near his feet, totally unassuming.

Rin saw them and to distract Haruka, he whispered to the arank to let them amuse the brunet. He watched how Haruka gazed at them with fascinated eyes, completely gone still and silent as the fish swam between his feet, their slick tails and slippery bodies brushing against Haruka’s ankles and legs.

Haruka’s face was illuminated by the light reflected from the surface of the water, his hair and eyes glowing with a lovely hue of gold. Though he was mostly clothed in loose garments, his leanly muscular frame was strong and handsome, putting a faint blush on Rin’s cheeks. Rin sighed, unable to take his eyes away from the sight of Haruka, tired of his strong attraction and fed up with his obstinate heart for persistently finding new reasons for loving Haruka in every little thing he did or said. Biting his lower lip with pain knotting in his chest, he broke that pure and tranquil scene. “Now you either use that stick in your hand or direct them downstream.” He whispered.

For a second, Haruka looked unsure, but then he chose to try his luck and took a powerful stance and trusted his makeshift spear into the water like a fine warrior, only to actually break the dry branch into pieces and scatter the fish in every direction.

Rin closed his hand over his mouth to keep his laughter in, turning away from Haruka to not offend him, but the kids who had been watching, and possibly been expecting more from that grand poise Haruka had taken, burst into laughing upon his failure.

Haruka felt a bit irritated, but when he saw how Rin’s shoulders shook with suppressed mirth, his chest warmed with emotion, unable to take offense.

“I guess it was too much for a first timer…” Rin taunted with a grin, finally facing Haruka again. But contrary to his expectation, Haruka challenged back with an impudent smile of his own.

“Since this is the best twig that you master fisherman could find…” He broke the branch easily into a few pieces more and threw them over his shoulder with a dramatic flourish of his hand.

Rin openly laughed at that, putting one hand on his waist. “Oh yeah? I can even catch them with my bare hands.” He goaded and gave his branch to Haruka.  “Here, try mine then...”

Haruka raised an eyebrow at that, belying his suspicion. “Alright, you are on.” He nodded, tilting his head back in confidence.

They quickly gained an audience from the children who forgot their games and were now even trying to catch their own fish. Unsurprisingly, the first catch was Rin’s and true to his word, he caught it with his bare hands, gaining a huge applaud and cheer from their onlookers. But Haruka was quite stubborn, too. Even though the chatter of the kids around scared the fish, he managed to catch one, proudly showing it to Rin with his game face on. Rin whistled at his big catch and smiled at how it appeased Haruka.

They spent quite some time in the water, Rin winning their little show down by a slide.  “Ten to three! And it is my win!” Rin wondered if he could get Haruka worked up over their bet, and got a bit surprised to see that Haruka was a sore loser just like him.

“All thanks to your obvious advantage...” The brunet looked quite glum over his loss even though he tried to act nonchalant about it.

“Come on…” Rin tried to cheer him up. “At least now you get to eat fish both at lunch and at dinner.” And the promise of food seemed to do the trick. Haruka’s face took on its neutral expression quickly, but Rin was now able to tell that his companion was content, maybe even happy. He idly wondered since when he had been able to read the miniscule nuances in Haruka’s expressions. The question reminded him of getting used to things, even to his captivity, so he chose to forget about it.

After they got rid of their wet clothes, Haruka was quick to clean the fish and build a fire big enough to cook them. Rin sat back and let Haruka do everything.

“You seem really used to preparing and cooking fish…” He observed.

Haruka shrugged. “I like fish, maybe that’s why.”

“Even though you are a merchant, fish must be hard to come by…”

“There is the dried kind, but that’s smelly.” Haruka’s nose wrinkled.

Rin smiled, thinking that he should catch more fish tomorrow and let Haruka enjoy them as long as they’d stay here like this. Sparing half of the fish for dinner, they ate their fill. And to pass time, Rin decided to wash his used clothes in the river, Haruka following suit.

The next day was the same. They came to the same spot, looking for fish as they lightly bantered about their skill and luck at fishing. This time they caught fifteen big fish and Haruka suggested letting some of them back into the water before Rin offered another idea. “How about I trade them for some vegetables? We can make a stew…” And he dashed off with half of the fish without even waiting for a reply.

Shaking his head at Rin’s enthusiasm, Haruka started to clean the remaining ones as he watched Rin asking around the houses if anyone would be willing to trade them with what they grew by the river.

It was either due to his extreme luck or how his smile charmed people easily, because Rin quickly returned with an armful of all kinds of vegetables, quite pleased with himself. “Look, Haru! That granny over there even gave me some rice.” He swished the small pouch of grains at Haruka’s face. “I’ll make you the best fish stew you’ve ever tasted.”

Haruka’s face immediately went sour. “I won’t let you ruin perfectly edible fish by turning them into a mush swimming in some pumpkin and potato broth.”

Rin flopped down right beside him, setting down his load, a bit offended. “You don’t like my cooking?” He watched the brunet expertly clean the bellies of the fish, washing them and then skewering them.

“Your cooking is fine, but you know I am partial about these…” He nodded at the ready to roast batch near them.

Rin let him have it his way, building a small fire for Haruka and asked impulsively. “What else do you like eating?”

The question threw Haruka off a bit, his hands stopping in their work, but he didn’t look up. “I can eat almost everything, but if I could, I’d rather eat fish every day.” He confessed, and this time Rin chuckled.

“Someone like you should have been living near the sea, swimming all day and eating fresh fish whenever he likes; but I guess everyone has to make a living.”

Rin had no idea how much Haruka actually would like to lead a life like that, but there was no point in lingering on impossible wishes. “And what do you like the most?”

Rin replied without a beat. “Meat, of course.” He grinned. “Hmm… And I am not fond of sweets, though my sister loves them with a passion.”

That perked Haruka’s attention. “You have a sister?”

Rin nodded. “Yup… She is younger than me, but a total trouble maker. Her name’s Kou.” He smiled wistfully, dearly missing her bright smile. Then his joy faded upon thinking how much Kou and his mother had to be worried for him now, wondering when he’d be able to see them, if he’d ever be. To forget about the ache that took hold of his chest, he diverted his attention. “Do you have siblings?”

Haruka was aware that he was the one who induced that sorrow and pain in Rin, mercilessly keeping him away from his family and loved ones. The guilt ate at him, but again, he refused to face it. “None… I am a single child.” He murmured.

Rin kept on asking, just to quell his sadness. “What about your father and mother?”

Welcoming the distraction, Haruka placed the skewers near the fire to let them slowly roast. “They live in Shalbatana. My father is technically the head of our trade guild.” Which was true, since he was the king of the country. “I had a grandmother, too…”

“Had?” Rin quirked an eyebrow at that, though he understood why Haruka chose that word.

“She died while I was away.” He explained with a neutral tone, but Rin could tell how it pained Haruka to be not present in his grandmother’s final moments. He guessed that was why he was so fond of Matsu-san and it explained how devastated Haruka got upon her demise.

“Sorry to hear that.” Rin whispered solemnly.

Haruka shrugged, not knowing what to say. Thankfully, Rin was still eager to make small talk and continued. “Favorite color? Oh, let me guess, let me… Blue?” He grinned at him, as if he was stating the obvious.

Haruka smiled at Rin’s mirth, shaking his head negative.

“No? I can’t believe it! It is the color of the water that you love so much!” Rin was genuinely surprised.

Haruka actually didn’t have any preference, but now that he thought about it, only one color came to his mind. “I like red.” He openly admired Rin’s hair as it caught the afternoon sun becomingly.

It was slow, but Rin caught on what Haruka was going on about, a light blush spreading on his cheeks. He hung his head and turned towards the river, to hide his embarrassment. “Yeah… The color of flames and all…” He mumbled and nervously smiled.

“And yours?” Haruka asked, knowing full well that Rin understood what he meant by his earlier claim.

Rin didn’t look back at him, but he wistfully held up his head and looked at the sky, shielding his eyes with his hand. “Gold and blue, I’d say… I like the way the sunrays shine upon the ocean, creating golden paths upon the vast blue of it.”

Haruka rolled his eyes at the two sun maidens giggling and cheering around them upon Rin’s words. The girls paid extra effort to create that shiny liquid gold effect upon the ripples of the river for Rin to see when Haruka drew the healer’s attention to it. “Like that?”

Rin nodded, happy. “I wish I could touch it and….” His words got stuck in his throat when Haruka stepped to the riverside and got a handful of water, letting it dribble down like actual drops of gold. “Do that again!” He demanded, unable to decide if his eyes were playing a trick on him.

Amused, Haruka joined his hands and scooped up some more water, showing it to Rin. Rin scouted closer and eagerly leaned towards him to see. It really looked like liquid light from where the both of them were sitting under the sun.

Rin quizzically dipped his fingers in the river and felt a bit disappointed to see it didn’t shone like Haruka’s. Undeterred, he got some water of his own, even bringing his hands closer to where Haruka’s were in hopes of catching the same sun light, but he couldn’t recreate the strange phenomenon. “Why?” He asked, frustrated.

Haruka smiled, opening his hands, letting the water flow. “Trade secret…” He echoed Rin’s words back at him, smugly watching Rin’s eyes narrow down at him before the healer smiled and clicked his tongue at him.

“Hmm… So you can turn the water into liquid gold, eh?” He acted impressed, and then raised an eyebrow. “But can you make rainbows?”

That immediately caught Haruka’s attention. “You can make rainbows?” He could barely suppress his excitement, because he could count the times he saw an actual rainbow after a rain. “Can you make it rain, then?” He asked, baffled and somewhat hopeful.

At first, Rin was surprised by that cute expression, and then it made him laugh. “No…. no… Nothing grandiose like that.” He shrugged, lying, because he was capable of brewing up a thunder storm if he’d lose himself to his core. “It is all about the position of the sun and some playing around in the water, you see…” He down played it, though Haruka’s enthusiasm didn’t lessen.

“Show me that rainbow of yours, then.” Haruka demanded, completely serious.

Rin looked back at Haruka’s unwavering stare, realizing that the brunet didn’t find the notion ridiculous, so he decided to answer in kind. He got up and took two long sticks with him, directly going for the deeper part of the river. He stopped and looked up at the position of the sun, and then grinned, his hands and the sticks disappearing in the water. He adjusted his stance and whispered something to the Harin’s arank.

When Rin powerfully raised his hands out of the water, a sizeable amount of water arched up into the sky in both directions thanks to the thick sticks he was holding. But anyone who was watching him could tell that it was impossible by humanly standards to raise that much water up to that height. Rin was using his power and true to his word, the sprayed water fell down with a small rainbow just above Rin’s head, making Haruka smile like a child.

“Again!” He implored, barely restraining himself from entering the river.

Rin chuckled at him, but complied, making as many rainbows as Haruka wanted.

“Are you helping him?” Haruka whispered to his girls, a bit accusatory, but they shook their heads and went about ignoring him for the sake of watching Rin.

“Hey! Don’t burn our food!” Rin stopped after a while, shaking his head at how Haruka scrambled to his feet, going back to the fire to actually find out that one side of their fish were a bit crispier now if not completely burnt.

Though Rin didn’t like the state of their lunch after seeing it, he didn’t complain, for in return he got to witness that look of childish wonder and happiness on Haruka’s face.

Their seventh day started as monotonously as ever. After forgoing their breakfast, Rin cooked the stew that he had promised as an early lunch and they started to walk by the river after tucking in their belongings to somewhere safe.

“Have any ideas for today?” Rin asked, a bit bored by their idleness.

Haruka honestly had no idea. “Just loitering around?” He shrugged and continued walking. “Maybe we could go into the city if you want?”

Rin couldn’t help but snort. “And here I was sure that you’d suggest we should swim the whole day.”

Haruka visibly flinched at Rin’s comment and that didn’t go unnoticed by the healer. One of Rin’s eyebrows rose in suspicion. “What is the problem?” He asked cautiously, immediately sensing that something was wrong with Haruka’s demeanor.

Haruka stopped himself from sighing loudly. Rin was too perceptive, or maybe he was becoming easier to read. “Nothing.” He shook his head noncommittally, barely suppressing the need to scratch at the boils on his left arm now that Rin made him think about them.

Of course, that did nothing to convince Rin. Haruka’s subdued behavior bothered him. He fully turned towards his companion and looked at him from head to toe as if he could surmise what was wrong with him just by looking.

Rin’s earnest attention was both flattering and troublesome, and Haruka didn’t know what to do with himself, so he just hoped that Rin would give up on it if he’d ignore the healer long enough.

Unfortunately for Haruka, Rin was stubborn. “If it was really nothing, you would already be swimming, not gazing at the water sullenly like this. Are you feeling unwell?” Even though he guessed that he was going to get burned, he reached for Haruka’s partly bare arm and before Haruka could stop him, Rin touched him.

The moment their skins met, they recoiled from each other with completely different reasons. Haruka had flinched because of the unexpected yet cool sensation of Rin’s hand and Rin withdrew his hand in great pain because Haruka’s skin felt like a red hot furnace. They both looked at each other with wide eyes, totally flabbergasted.

Rin tried to stop the pain he felt from reflecting on his face, but _damn_ , he had never been burned this severely before. The agony of it still pulsed in his palm even though his body immediately healed the damage. He forced an apologetic smile on his face, thinking that Haruka had found his touch invasive. “I am sorry for doing something you apparently didn’t want me to…”

Haruka’s immediate response was to assure Rin that his touch was not unwelcome, in fact far from it. “No, no… That’s not it. I just…” He trailed off uncertainly, hoping that Rin didn’t misunderstand him.

“You just didn’t want me to find out that you are ill?” Rin completed his words, relieved that Haruka didn’t mind his touch, but worried that he’d prefer to keep his illness a secret. “Why?”

Haruka’s lips quirked into a small and rueful smile. “I didn’t want you to think that I am using you as a personal heal-it-all for my every little scratch and bruise.”

Rin’s eyes widened a bit at that. “I thought my merit was exactly in that?” He questioned half jokingly, but Haruka took it seriously.

“I just didn’t want to bother you after all you have been through.” He couldn’t say how he was regarding Rin much more than that and it pained him.

Rin smiled at Haruka’s consideration, his eyes soft. “It has never been a bother for me, healing you…”

“Even though I have cost you your health in return of your kindness?” Haruka gazed into Rin’s shimmering red eyes searchingly, still able to trace the ghost of the pain that he had inflicted upon the healer.

“I did it all willingly; no one forced me to heal you. I hope you’ll never encounter such a life threatening situation again, but if something like that happens again, I’ll save you no matter what.” The solid conviction in Rin’s red gaze took Haruka’s breath away. If only he hadn’t witnessed how Rin would do the same thing for almost anyone, Haruka would have been the happiest man on earth, but no… Rin was generous like that for everyone and day after day Haruka was feeling less and less worthy of being the recipient of it.

“Come on, don’t look so glum.” Rin urged him with an encouraging smile. “This part of the river bank looks deserted. Let’s get you healed.”

Haruka’s heart gave a happy lurch in his chest upon Rin’s willingness, his stoic expression dissolving into a small smile against his best effort. He approached the river bank, too, unable to take his eyes away from Rin’s body as the healer quickly got rid of his shirt and shoes. Haruka kicked away his own shoes. But he hesitated to undress, because deep down inside, he was ashamed of how marred his skin became.

Rin was quick to catch on Haruka’s trepidation. Though he found it needless, he respected it. “Get in as you are if you want…” He offered, going for a secluded part of the riverside, where they’d be away from the onlookers. He mentally tried to ready himself for the inevitable pain of getting burned again as he watched Haruka approach him tentatively, still clothed. He motioned for him to follow him towards a part of the river where they’d be in it waist high and he wetted his hands, calling for the help of the arank silently.

Haruka stood before Rin within reach of him, severely aware how rapidly his heart was beating in anticipation. They were surrounded by his sun maidens and the girls all looked enchanted by Rin, their attention was solely on him. He would have probably felt jealous if his attention had also not been captivated by the healer, too. Rin looked absolutely gorgeous there, half immersed in water, his skin glowing under the bright rays of the sun that his Arinna bestowed on him, his hair and eyes a glossy, vivid red… The pull that Haruka was feeling for him was immense, so much so that Rin could easily break him apart and tear him down just as easily as he was able to mend his body and soul, and Haruka was helpless to stop him from doing so if Rin would just wish for that. The knowledge of it both frightened and exhilarated Haruka as Rin took another step to him, his eyes falling to his chest, his hand going for the small knots that kept his white shirt together.

“I need to touch you.” Rin asked for permission in a measured voice. “The closer to your core the better…” And when Haruka nodded, he began to undo the knots. The act was so sensuous and intimate as they stood close to each other in silence. Rin was unable to look at Haruka in the eye while all Haruka could do was to watch the emotions that played over Rin’s face.

Knot by knot Rin exposed the skin marred by red boils and he wondered how long Haruka had been walking around with them, hurting and hiding. Losing himself in the instinctual need to lessen Haruka’s agony, he traced a patch of effected skin from his collarbone to the left side of his chest, not caring about the pain that he got through the contact.

Haruka tried to refrain himself from shuddering, biting the inside of his lower lip to keep himself from making a noise, but he was unable to hide the reaction of his body as gooseflesh appeared on his skin, alerting Rin.

“Sorry…” Rin glanced up at him apologetically, thinking that he had hurt him. In fact, it really was going to hurt; and judging by the severity of the lesions, a lot… “You can hold onto me when you need.” Rin offered, though it was equal to inviting more pain on his end. But as long as Haruka was alright, he actually didn’t care.

With that resolve, Rin took a deep breath and spread his whole hand over Haruka’s chest and closed his eyes, letting the power of the arank surge within him and start to mend both his burnt palm and Haruka’s lesions. His other hand immediately darted to the brunet’s shoulder, hugging him in a half embrace as soon as he felt Haruka’s body trying to jerk away from the pain of the healing.

Even though Haruka had been wishing for tasting this sensation again for as long as he could remember, he couldn’t stop his body’s flight response upon the terrifying sensation of water moving around him like a great serpent, entwining with his body and soul as if it wanted to pull him in, subdue and suffocate him until it choked all the malady and impureness out of him. The pain it inflicted was like that of being skinned alive, unrelenting, slow like a never ending torture as he started to trash in Rin’s hold even though he had been telling himself that he could withstand it, that he was no longer that frail child who burrowed into the arms of his healer as if he was trying to hide from the world, expecting those equally thin arms of that merry voiced kid to shield him from all that hurt and agony. But here he was, clinging onto Rin for the life of him, his face buried into the crook of Rin’s neck, his hands holding onto the healer’s bare and unprotected skin just like a hawk would hold onto his prey with persistent claws. He was trembling and trying to at least keep his mouth shut to save a bit of his dignity.

Rin’s voice was his anchor. He spoke that melodious language of his just beside his ear, sending sensual shivers down his spine, surprising him on his ability to find pleasure in pain when it came from Rin. The magnetic pull that he had been feeling for him was intensifying the longer he experienced Rin’s power within himself, cleaning and mending him, even curing the wounds in his soul gently.

Rin was _the_ water for him. His body had the strength of the wild currents and his skin was as cool as the deep oceans. His breath on him was like a fresh and crisp breeze, and even though he should be as elusive as the flowing water, Rin was within his hold now, here and his to taste. As the pain paved way to that almost drug like sweet daze of mind and soul, Haruka lost himself in the want of him, his lips latching onto Rin’s pulse, and then curving up in satisfaction when it picked up its pace in response.

Rin was in a trance of his own, his mind sluggish, but his heart was running a mile a second under Haruka’s touch. Just a second ago, he was trying to keep Haruka within reach to complete the healing. He had been tolerating the burning sensation emanating from the brunet’s body as he searched for an underlying illness that might have caused the boils to spread almost all over Haruka’s skin. Yet now, here he was standing completely at the mercy of the other as his body felt conquered by Haruka’s will, whose hands no longer burned him, but caressed his shoulders and sides possessively and reverently.

Doubt started to claim him when he recognized this feeling at the back of his mind. It very much resembled to the one he occasionally got whenever Haruka’s touch rendered him unable to resist the brunet’s will. Rin felt stripped of his body’s control, no different from a puppet that craved the sensations that his handler inflicted upon him. What terrified him more was the realization of how his body was trying to short circuit his reason, to persuade him that Haruka’s touch was as vital as breathing for him. His mind screamed at him to take his control back and decide for itself if it was really alright for him to get washed away by the pleasure that Haruka was giving him, just as his body was enraptured by the brunet’s desire leaving hot trails on his skin wherever his hands ventured to.

He no longer knew how much of this was his own suppressed emotions and how much of it was Haruka’s passion reflecting on his senses, because he couldn’t bring himself to move even an inch to get away from him.

Unaware of the conflict that Rin was going through, Haruka was emboldened by Rin’s seemingly acceptance of his touch. Still in his sweet haze, he trailed Rin’s neck with his tongue and nipped at his jaw gently. When Rin winced at the sensation, Haruka kissed the same spot while one of his hands stopped at Rin’s trim waist, grabbing his hip firmly as if he was instinctually afraid that Rin would slip away from him. His other hand went for Rin’s nape and he buried his fingers into the thick red tresses there before he fell just a bit away enough to look into Rin’s dazed eyes only to lean in and capture his lips with all the hunger he had been suppressing for so long.

Rin could only look back at the sharp blue eyes that regarded him in a predatory ardor, his own eyes going wide. He flinched at the foreign sensation of soft lips upon his lips, his hands grabbing onto Haruka’s upper arm and shoulder for purchase. Haruka kept him in place, his tongue taking the opportunity created by Rin’s gasp and delved into his unresisting mouth.

Rin was sure that his surprise had to be reflected in his eyes for Haruka to see, but Haruka’s steely gaze only glinted with a golden hue before those eyes were closed. When he angled his face for better access, Rin’s eyes screwed shut against the pleasure, too. He felt the brunet’s tongue brushing against his searchingly, the hand in his hair softly tugging at him to bringing him closer, and the thumb on his hipbone massaging it absentmindedly. Those fingers on his hip went in and spread under his shalvar. They were this shy of actually grabbing at his bottom, caressing the sensitive flesh there with a hint of nails scraping against the skin provocatively, sending jolts of pleasure through Rin.

Haruka was wreaking havoc on his senses, his body trembling faintly under the deep kiss that tried to claim everything that he could offer and then some more. He was being consumed and he could do nothing about it. He didn’t know even if he had the full control of his body, would he be able to escape from Haruka or not.

More lost than even Rin was, all Haruka’s mind could register was the texture of how Rin’s skin felt under his hands and tongue. He couldn’t get enough of him, the want was making him delirious, and all his inhibitions were shed away from him. The only thing that echoed in his mind was his innermost desire of being loved and wanted by Rin with the same intensity of his own yearning. It pained him and in his pain, he wanted to be even closer to Rin than their skin permitted them. He yanked the healer towards himself, their hips and stomachs now flush against each other. But not even the cool expanse of Rin’s body was enough to satiate the fire burning in him.

Dimly, he realized that he was slowly going crazy with need. But the reason of his amounting frustration was not simply the maddening, yet unresolved, tension between them. He needed Rin to feel the same way about him; he wanted Rin to share in his torment of loving someone this much, this impossibly. He didn’t want to be alone in this.

When Rin’s hand slowly slid down his chest and his fingers agonizingly brushed against his nipple one by one, he broke their kiss and hissed at the pleasure laced with pain against Rin’s wet lips. He started to lap at them, worrying Rin’s bottom lip between his teeth before letting it go. When Rin let a small moan at the back of his throat and tried to follow Haruka’s lips into another kiss, Haruka growled lowly upon the sight of the abused and swollen red lips.

Maybe it was that small sound what had alerted Rin’s inhibitions, because the healer’s eyes opened immediately, his gaze cloudy with pleasure and something else. Then both of them realized things at the same time which cleared the fog in their minds a bit.

Rin felt the proof of Haruka’s desire hard against his leg and that helped him to finally understand the severity of the precipice that the two of them were about to cross. His body loved what Haruka had been doing to him, but his mind was not so sure, reminding him of his promise and what he was. That very same moment, Haruka’s will wavered and unaware of that, Rin believed that reminding himself of the reality was what helped him in regaining some of his control back. His hands no longer held onto Haruka’s body, now drawn back between them as an instinctual sign of his wanting to get away.

Haruka’s trance was cleared as soon as his mind registered that hazy look in Rin’s eyes turn into open confusion. He didn’t know if Rin was confused about why they stopped or why they were doing this, so, the uncertainty of it was enough to instill some of his reason back into him. Now his own eyes were wide and reflected his bewilderment, he took a step away from Rin and slackened his hold on his body. When he saw how Rin’s face turned red with embarrassment, he completely drew away, felling equally self conscious about where he had been touching and what they had been doing. His body still throbbing in desire, the instant they parted, gooseflesh covered his skin and he felt his nipples go painfully hard in unsated craving. He didn’t know how he managed it through all these, but he saw how Rin was in a similar state, looking utterly debauched with his swollen lips, tousled hair, those kiss marks on his neck and his red face.

“Sorry…” Haruka mumbled, surprising both himself and Rin upon his honest platitude, taking another step back. “Did I… Did I hurt you?” He had to ask even though his chest started to hurt, because he loathed the possibility of an affirmative answer.

Rin’s eyes went wide upon the sincere apology, a part of him resenting Haruka for admitting that he might have done something against Rin’s wishes, even though Rin practically let his feet be swept under him by the brunet. Haruka should have simply shrugged it off as the expression of a moment’s desire, but he had to be confused by the mixed signals and reaction that Rin was giving. Now how was he supposed to hate him and blame him for this?

He shook his head, telling the truth. “No…” And he tore away his eyes from Haruka’s worried face, no longer knowing what to do with himself in their painfully awkward situation.

Thankfully, Haruka decided for him and took a few steps more towards the deeper part of the river. “I… I need to cool myself. You can go on ahead…” He declared a bit tersely to cover his embarrassment and Rin looked back at him in surprise, just enough to catch a glimpse of the blush on his face before Haruka dived into the water and disappeared.

Rin hugged himself, shuddering at the feeling of his own cold arms after getting a taste of Haruka’s hot body. “Go on ahead, he says…” He mumbled through his teeth, his head hanging low.

He stepped towards the shallow part of the river only for his knees to buckle under him, forcing him to sit down. He smiled at himself derisively, splashing water on his burning face with trembling hands. “As if I can simply walk away after what you have made me feel…” His eyes blurred with frustrated tears, his mind replaying every sensation and every emotion that Haruka had wrenched out of him. He couldn’t stop the two tear drops from mingling with the river’s water when a thought hit him like bricks. _He could have done whatever he wanted with me… I wouldn’t even be able to stop him if he so desired to take me right in this river on this shore…_ Even worse than that was the fact that he would only blame himself for it, because he knew that he’d happily let Haruka do whatever he wanted and respond in kind if only their circumstances had been different.  

The shame and the horrification of that thought alone seemed to be going to last him for a lifetime as he sat there, letting the arank of the river, who reacted to his distress, console him.

He had lost his heart to Haruka; that alone he admitted begrudgingly, but he wasn’t going to lose his body to him, too. Because what came after that was his mind and will, and that would no longer be him. He had to break free.

 

* * *

 

Acting as if what they had done in the river had never happened surely wasn’t a good idea, but since Rin seemed too willing to do that, Haruka didn’t pursue the subject. The need to talk was like a palpable entity between them, and truth be told, this time Haruka wanted to really lay his feelings bare before the healer, but Rin was doing everything in his power to avoid and gloss over the subject other than openly telling him to forget about it. Haruka let him have it, though he was slowly driving himself crazy with the thoughts that ran through his mind, because he was unable to understand why Rin was refusing to acknowledge their mutual attraction. He _knew_ it was mutual, because Rin had turned into putty in his embrace, got equally hard and excited, moaned with his breath hitching, just as lost as himself had been. So why was he treating this as if it was nothing?

Thankfully, they only had to go through one day of this awkwardness and side stepping of their problem.

On the ninth day of their stay in Harin, Haruka got some news through the falcon that he used to communicate with his men and Makoto. The short message told him to wait in the Customs, for a few of the scouts from his group were about to arrive Harin in the afternoon.

Bitterly, Haruka realized that Rin was relieved to finally have some company with them as they got their belongings together and left for the Customs Office to meet the men. Rin didn’t even seem fazed a bit when he put the chains back on his hands to ward off suspicion. Haruka didn’t know what to do, other than arranging lodgings for the men and the animals that they were expecting in two or three days’ time. Since they were seven people now, Haruka guessed that if there were still anyone left from Zinan’s group seeking revenge, they wouldn’t dare to attack them after seeing their numbers.

Now located in the biggest inn of the city, they waited for the half of the caravan led by Mahir to arrive. Makoto’s men were following two days after them, so they needed rooms as soon as possible. Haruka had already booked half of the inn, creating a safe space for his people to enjoy themselves when they’d come, because it had been too long since the last time they got a roof above their heads.

He passed time by going over the paperwork the Customs Office had asked of them, Rin was hanging around them as a personal servant and acting as inconspicuous as possible. But Haruka could see how excited he was getting upon the prospect of reuniting with his friend and that slave girl. Maybe the girl was his love interest and that was the reason of Rin giving him the cold shoulder, so Haruka had only made a fool of himself all this time. He wasn’t so sure anymore.

Their reunion was a sight to behold. Rin left his side and in a secluded corner where he wouldn’t be bothered, he waited for his friends to find him. Even though people were quickly filing into the great stone garden of the inn to greet Haruka, he couldn’t help but watch Aiichiro and Meera practically run to Rin.

The two young men hugged each other with big and bright smiles on their faces, Rin patting Aiichiro on the shoulder, touching his forehead and playfully admonishing him probably on his health like a big brother would do, making the younger male’s eyes go teary. Meera was watching them on the side with an equally heartfelt smile on her face, giddy with excitement. Rin rustled her long brown hair fondly, knocking back her turban. The girl faked an angry scowl at him when Rin also touched her cheek with the back of his hand, possibly to check upon her health, before his hand got slapped away with no malice behind the action as the three of them laughed at each other’s antics.

Haruka could see that she tried to act nonchalant about it, but for him her love and admiration was clear to see. He wished that the part in him that envied her was something visible so that he could cut it off of him, his hatred of that emotion running that deep.

He let the three of them have their day until Makoto would come, because he had more urgent and pressing concerns than his own petty feelings of envy and rejection to linger upon.

He had been trying to mentally prepare himself for Makoto’s wrath since he had learnt from the last scout that Makoto’s group was about to arrive Harin. And contrary to his expectation, when they finally reunited, Makoto acted quite amicably in front of their men as if he wasn’t aware of what kind of a dangerous path that Haruka had been treading on while he was away from him.

The two groups mingled in the inn, filling up nearly all of it. After they unloaded the goods and tended to the animals, the workers of inn lay out a feast for the men in the stone yard. They roasted lambs and drank in abandon to celebrate their reunion, music and dance mingling with the clamors and laughter of the men.

Now sitting in the biggest room away from the noises of the merriment, Makoto was listening to Haruka’s story patiently. His anger was simmering slowly, but he kept it under control. When his friend finished, Makoto looked at him in the eye with the countenance of a mother about to berate her child.

“So you threw away all your responsibilities to save the life of a spy?”

Haruka turned his face away sourly. “He saved mine twice. I owed him one.”

“Twice? What the hell happened other than the snake bites, Haru?” Makoto couldn’t believe that his friend was purposefully hiding this much from him.

“Nothing. I was talking about a debt from the past, not the present.” Haruka dismissively answered, but Makoto pursued the subject.

“Tell me about it.” He demanded seriously.

Haruka looked back at his friend with equally serious eyes. “Rin is that healer who saved my life when we were kids.” He declared and observed his friend’s face. When he saw no show of surprise there, he snorted derisively. “But you already knew that, didn’t you? How long did it take for Nagisa to find it out?”

Makoto shrugged, seeing no use for hiding it. “I got the message six days ago.” He was a bit disappointed that Haruka had already found it out by himself. He knew how much that meant for Haruka, and it also was something that had to have intensified Haruka’s feelings for Rin. “Those daggers... They were made by my grandfather. After finding it out, it was easy to add two and two together.” He frowned again, still angry. “When did you realize it?”

“About a week ago.”

“How?”

Haruka told him everything he had learnt about Rin’s power, omitting the detail about how he also had disclosed quite a bit about himself to the healer.

Makoto got wide eyed and blanched as he listened. “Haru, listen to me now.” He leaned towards him, his worry doubling upon the things he had learnt. “He is certainly from Kissaara; his friend, too. They are Beys. That Aiichiro’s family had been the Sultan’s retainers since the establishment of their country.”

“And Rin?”

“The information on Rin is vague, because among the people who knew or heard of a miraculously talented healer, few could remember his face. The only ones who can recall Rin’s appearance are the ones who recognized Aiichiro, too, and they have seen them around recently. No one who claims to have met or heard of Rin in the past can describe how he looks. Isn’t it strange?”

Haruka’s eyes were filled with doubt now. “Neither your father, nor Nagisa’s were able to remember the faces of Rin and his guardians at that time, too. That’s why I couldn’t search for them later on.”

Makoto knew that story too well. “Look, it is evident that these people and our fathers were charmed into forgetting him. That can’t be the power of Rin or Aiichiro’s. Rin must have another companion who can do that for him, but where that person is now, I don’t know. And think about why Rin would want people to forget about him.”

Haruka’s face got clouded, his eyes downcast. His good mood was sapped away from him. Seeing his friend like this was the last thing Makoto wanted, but they had to have this conversation.

“Haru, before they got caught by the bandits, these two had been travelling through Shalbatana and the bordering countries, where the irrigations canal are. You say he can feel which water is alive and which one is connected to the underground water flow just by touching... Forget about his extraordinary healing powers, this ability of his is unheard of. Haru, think about how useful he can be to his Sultan, mapping out the whole water system, where to find the most useful one of them...”

Haruka rubbed at his face furiously, unable to find another way to erase that crestfallen expression from it. “That Sultan can just invade and get the best spots to dig for underground water that they need so much for their agriculture.”

Makoto nodded at him grimly. “We all know that Kissaara’s ruler has always been against the construction of the dam on Arda. Though his country is on the seashore, he needs Arda’s water for agriculture, too. Our Elders have been strict in their water policy. I am sure the Sultan must be looking for a way out of the tight spot that our Elders have put him in.”

“He can be looking for new land with good resources to add to his territory.” Haruka surmised, sighing in dejection. “But Rin has never acted like a spy, Makoto. He saves people’s lives with the cost of his own health. How can a person like him be collecting intel to start an invasion? Do you really believe this?”

Makoto sighed in exasperation. “You know him better than I do. Of course, you can think this way, but Haru, this is not just a petty suspicion. This can easily get out of our hands and lead to a great conflict between our countries. Can you really risk it?”

Haruka’s eyes turned vivid with incredulousness. “Then what do you suggest? I bought him even though I knew he was a free man, I made him into my slave illegally. Now you want me to turn a Kissaaran Bey in to the Elders? Can you even imagine what those men would do to him even before they learn of his power? Don’t you know how they banished me from my own kingdom, forcing me into a life of exile, stigmatizing me as a curse sent to the lands even though I’m their sole prince...” Haruka looked delirious now; his old wound itched and bled.

Makoto’s heart broke upon Haruka’s desperation to defend Rin. He had rarely seen him this conflicted, torn between his mind and heart.

“You really are in love with him.” His condemning voice booked for no argument. He wasn’t surprised to see how some of Haruka’s bravado got deflated upon his claim. “Your feelings for him are clouding your judgment.”

He raised a hand to stop Haruka’s immediate refusal. “And no! Stop fooling yourself! I am your friend and I am willingly playing the bad guy here. Tell me, what future can you imagine with him? What do you even expect from him?” He asked, being intentionally cruel. “Yes, you have taken him as your slave. You can take whatever you want from him if you just want to slake your desire with his body. So, will you act on your rights as a master, albeit they are illegal and cruel? Or are you going to be true to your character for once and free him. Even if he returns your feelings, do you believe that he’ll stay? He is a Bey, Haru! Even if he is not a spy, will he be able to forget your lie and forgive you for making him go through this hell, the shackles, the humiliation and all?”

Haruka’s chest hurt, his head pounded with pain in rhythm of his heartbeat. He had known that Makoto was going to beat him back to reality with his words, but this hurt too much. He had been ignoring all these questions, hiding away in how Rin had been making him feel, lost in the comfort of a bubble he had created from that fake sense of safety and warmth. Now that Makoto had burst that bubble, all he could do was to endure his fall into the emptiness. “I won’t turn him up to those geezers.” He spoke with finality, shaking his head, a deep frown on his pale and demure face.

Makoto already knew that Haruka would say that, not that he was too willing to hand Rin and Ai to the authorities of their country either. With an equally calm and measured voice, he asked, “Then what are you going to do? Keep him chained to you, hopelessly longing for his love until you lose yourself and do something that’ll hurt you both even more than what you two are going through now?”

Haruka’s sharp eyes were golden when he directed them at Makoto. His face was set into a deadly expression as if he was looking at a foe, not a friend. “He is my destiny. He is mine.” He challenged him to say more, waiting for just another provocation to snap.

Makoto was clever enough to act as nonthreatening as possible after seeing those eyes. He didn’t even let on how baffled he was to witness his friend losing control this way for someone. That color only reigned over the blue of Haruka’s eyes if his core was about to take him over. Luckily, Haruka had never completely let himself be swept away by his own power, so the golden hue would drain away quickly.

Meeting with no competition, Haruka’s power settled down. His eyes regained their blue, but they were a bit glassy now, tired. His shoulders sagged and a forlorn expression etched on his face as he turned back at Makoto. “Sorry for that.” He mumbled.

Makoto nodded his head, gesturing to his friend’s eyes. “I meant exactly that when I talked about losing yourself… Now do you see what his love turns you into?” He asked.

Haruka looked as if his soul was sucked out, his eyes were that lifeless and his vexation was palpable. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t want to lose Rin, but his mind couldn’t come up with anything other than keeping on with his lie. Although he was quite stung by Makoto’s last comment, he was aware that he was capable of doing horrific things if his core would take him over. This had been a losing fight since the beginning, but he was yet to accept it. “I’ll not turn him in.” He stated firmly. “I’ll continue this charade for as long as possible. I know what I am doing is wrong on so many levels, but I can’t let him go, Makoto.”

Expecting to hear something like that, Makoto gave up. “Then prepare yourself for a heart break like you have never experienced before, Haru.” He got up from his cushion and went to the table on the corner of their room. There were open documents spread on it and he got one of them, bringing it back to Haruka.

“You are turning a blind eye to your own fallacy, ignoring how this hurts the both of you; but when the time comes, he’ll give back as good as he got. Remember that.” Makoto prophesied. “And frankly speaking, you deserve it. Let’s just hope that he loves you as much as you love him and takes mercy on you.” He gave the document to Haruka, wanting him to read it. “Here, a chance for you to decide if he is a spy or not.”

Haruka took the piece of paper despondently and read it just because of Makoto’s last comment. It was a notification on the amount of water let from the dam to the Kissaaran lands. The elders were claiming that the season was going more arid than usual and the level of the current lessened around this time of the year. So in case they’d need more water for irrigation and agriculture in the upcoming months, they were going to limit the water discharge from the dam until it got filled full.

Haruka sighed and looked back at Makoto. “What do you want me to do with this?”

“Just let him hear this and observe how he reacts to the news.” Makoto shrugged. “Maybe it can give you an idea.”

Haruka nodded in a fed up manner, rubbing at his forehead to fend off an approaching headache. “Get a few men to talk about this near him tomorrow, I’ll see what happens.” He relented. “I’ll go get some air.” And he left.

Makoto was still angry at his friend’s careless nonchalance, but he was equally dismayed and troubled by Haruka’s situation. He wished he’d have a way to help him, but other than letting the events unfold in their own pace, he could do nothing.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Rin and Ai got the news while they were tending to the animals. Since the Bey wanted to set out for their next stop in three days’ time, the animals needed good care and they got a lot of help from the other men to finish their job as quickly as possible.

Neither Rin nor Ai suspected anything, because the men craftily mentioned of it like a passing comment while they were talking about the barley field that one of the man’s father owned. Rin’s joy of reuniting with Ai and Meera flew away upon the things they heard. He wondered how his mother was handling the situation there. If he had been free, he’d go back to his country and eventually his presence would collect the rain clouds. He could have stayed until the King of Shalbatana would decide to increase the amount of the water that they let from the dam. But he could do nothing from here and they had to be worried sick for not getting any letters from him for about three months now.

He tried to forget his woes by working. Even though his mood was sniveling on the ground, he didn’t have the luxury of sitting around to find a solution for his predicament. What he had to do was evident; escaping.

Thanks to Meera’s probing around, they learned that their next stop was said to be a small border city in the country of Ingria. According to the men, it was three days’ walk away, the city of Tumay. There, Rin guessed that he could find an arank and get their chains undone by him. Even though he wanted Meera to come with them, she insisted to be the distraction. They made a vague plan to modify it according to the circumstances that they were going to find themselves in. Rin hated ambiguity, but they had to make do with it for now.

The next two days passed by very quickly, because there was a lot to do for Rin. He was asked to treat some men from Makoto’s group, some of which required a good amount of his energy. At least, nobody was forbidding him from taking an occasional dip in the river, since he believed that Makoto had to be privy of the details of his healing ability by now. A few times, he had caught him and Haruka looking at his way, but he didn’t know the reason, because there were too many. Neither Haruka nor Makoto had approached him since they had reunited and Haruka had been quite forlorn since that day. Whatever the two of them had talked about that night in their tent, Rin guessed that it added to their unresolved and ignored episode in the river and put Haruka off and kept him away from him. Rin thought that it was for the best.

Watching Haruka from away was a strange experience. Even when he knew that the two of them were avoiding each other for several reasons and he was about to run away, Rin couldn’t help the desire to talk to Haruka, to be near him and forget about the rest of his worries by his side. He detested this want, believing that it proved how weak he was, but he also loved the warmth that it spread within his chest. He could only swallow and try to quell that sensation; aware that it was only going to harm him more the longer he entertained the hope for normalcy in his mind. Hope was the most useless and yet the most dangerous thing for him now. So he abandoned it.

Leaving Harin behind, they set out for Tumay with their larger group. Now it was easier for them to mingle and make themselves unnoticeable among the crowd of people and animals. This was certainly an advantage for them.

The road to Tumay was a bit busy, too, for it was only three days’ walk away from Harin. Since it was all plain terrain, far away in the horizon, they could still see the large caravan group that set out before them. Their image was a trembling mirage in the distance, but it was there. This certainly made escaping risky, because there was nowhere to hide.

They walked for nearly twenty four hours with little stops to have a breather here and there. By the end of their first day, they had reached their first stop with two wells. The camping site was already occupied probably by that same group that had set out before them. Nobody found that strange, because in places like this it was first come first served and encountering other caravans in the resting spots was usual. It was already the night time and everyone was quite tired due to their fast pace. So their large group found themselves a spot closer to one of the wells and slowly started to settle down to eat and sleep.

Everyone went about their business without minding the presence of the close by group of men. People were building fires to cook and animals were given water. Among the ones responsible of this task were Rin and Ai.

Ai had been silent and observant since they had approached the camping site, his face taking on an edgy expression as time went by. Knowing that something was up, Rin shook his head at him in question.

“There is something going on.” Ai whispered for Rin’s ears. “The animals of that caravan are restless as if they are ready for something.”

A shiver ran down Rin’s spine upon the news. He had always found Ai’s ability to sense danger as awe inspiring and now that Ai had mentioned it, he could feel the sense of dread crackling in the air, too.

“Is it alive?” Ai meant the water and when Rin nodded, he smiled. “Maybe we won’t need to wait till we reach Tumay.”

“The water level is too low. We can’t get our chains undone like this.” Rin was getting excited, his heart picking up speed. “But I can get him do some tricks for us if what we expect happens.”

“I’ll talk to the animals. Will you find Meera?”

Rin nodded again and quickly finished his work to go and talk to the girl. When he found her, she was cooking. Without betraying much with his expressions, Rin whispered her to keep an eye on them to come with them, because they found the other group’s orderly silence suspicious. Meera’s excitement was visible, too, but she refused his offer again. Somebody had to make sure that they could escape with no one to follow them.

Rin didn’t want to sacrifice her for their cause, but Meera was adamant in her decision. Together they finished cooking their pilaf and even distributed it among the men and ate their own share after Ai joined them. In a far corner of the camp, away from the other caravan, where they wouldn’t catch anyone’s attention the three of them sat and drank coffee to keep awake.

Their level of anxiety was in the sky as they watched people go to sleep one by one, their side of the camp going silent gradually. They curled around each other in pretense of going to sleep, but they were all awake.

“Wish we had some weapons with us...” Rin lamented, waiting for something to happen, anything.

“I’ll just hide under an animal.” Meera’s simple logic would have made Rin laugh at its absurd practicality, but he could only smile at her attempt at settling everyone’s nerves.

They stayed like that for more than two hours, patiently waiting, still hopeful, because according to Ai, that foreboding feeling was getting more pronounced by each second.

Then, their patience paid off and they saw the first few men slithering towards their camp on all fours with one thing in their mind. To kill and pillage... Of course, the guards on their side weren’t sleeping either. A commotion started as soon as they heard the hisses of the short bows, one man from their side screaming to get everyone up.

It was like a spectacular hurricane, the clash of the two groups; but Rin and Ai didn’t plan to witness it. While their sleepy companions got up and found their weapons to defend themselves, the bandits were already among them, catching them unprepared. The attackers had even put out the fires to use the darkness to their advantage, because they knew this place better than Makoto and Haruka’s men who were tired and hadn’t suspected of an attack.

Rin and Ai had no time to spare, they had to use the ensuing chaos to get away unnoticed, so they paid no mind to the brutality that unfolded before them. They quickly found the two camels that Ai had prepared earlier and got on them, making the animals run as fast as they could.

To divert any onlookers’ attention elsewhere, Rin whispered for the arank of the two wells, and the water in them erupted with force as if explosives had been thrown into them. As intended, it took everyone’s attention and frightened both sides of the camp, but neither Rin nor Ai were there to see it.

Still unable to believe their luck, Rin rode on as if tomorrow was never going to come. He planned to go to the eastern side of Harin, where they could get the arank of the river release them from their chains and he could send hawks all around the north to get anyone looking for them to know where they were. They didn’t have money, but rivers always offered more than people could imagine if only they could reach the city.

They didn’t stop even for a second, because even though Ai had persuaded their caravan’s animals to not pursue them, there was the matter of the bandits. This was such a well laid out attack that had Ai not got the ability to sense imminent danger and been able to talk to the animals, they would have been probably dead by now. Chained down with no weapons, they were easy prey. At least now, they had a chance and nothing could come up between him and this opportunity. Not even the probability of Haruka’s death in the hands of the bandits. The thought of it alone was enough to make him go faint with worry and pain, but he would never relent to his heart again. This was larger than him and his love was certainly expendable for the greater good of his people. He had to return no matter what the cost of it was.

_TBC…_


End file.
